Of recall and no choice button : Electoral reforms
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: September 10 2011 -

Anna Hazare-the man needs no introduction thanks to the extensive and intense media coverage on his Jan Lokpal and the accompanying fast to pile the pressure on the Government-seems to have clean bowled the Government and it remains to be seen how he and his team go about with the next task of electoral reforms.

The task at hand is indeed mammoth and it will need more than a fast or two at Ram Lila to bring not only the Government round to the idea of a reform but also the Election Commission of India.

A large number of history sheeters, criminals with cases pending against them, money launderers, people with dubious antecedents find their way to the Parliament and the State Assemblies precisely for the loopholes in the electoral system.

The observation that politics is the last refuge of the scoundrels may not have originated from India, but this fits like a T on India and it is for this reason why studies on the compositions of State Assemblies or Parliament by independent media houses invariably expose so many dirty linens. Former Chief of the Election Commission of India, TN Seshan may have earned a number of uncharitable titles and terms such as a megalomaniac, impossible to work along with, stubborn, but none can deny that he did something to reform the electoral system in the country.

Nalini Singh gained super star status, before the advent of satellite television, with her path breaking coverage of the election in Bihar as well as in Meham, Haryana.

Muscle flexing, use of money and muscle power, booth capturing, proxy voting, professional booth capturers, all these were captured live on camera and News Track became the most well known news on camera during that time. Watching it even today would send a shiver down the spine of everyone and anyone.

Mayhem at Meham was the term used to describe the naked use of brute force in the ballot battle at this Haryana town in 1990-1991, that pitched Om Prakash Chautala, the all powerful anointed heir of the late Devi Lal and Anand Singh Dangi another tough candidate, who understood the use of lathis and brute force.

In one clinical sweep, Indian democracy lay exposed with all its hitherto hidden dirt before the world community. Maybe it was these expose' by the media that propelled TN Seshan to crack the whip and lay down certain directives for all candidates. Election code of conduct suddenly became somewhat meaningful.

Manipur must rank high up there among the States that desperately and immediately need fundamental reforms in the electoral system. Sometime earlier, this column had asserted the need to initiate reforms in the electoral system and a synopsis of recommendations worked out by an elderly gentleman was mentioned.

The ideas of the gentleman were put down in the form of an article some days later. Now with election scheduled to be held sometime in the early part of next year, February is the tentative month, perhaps it is time to once again test the water for a reformation in the electoral system.

So far Anna Hazare has spoken out on the need to have a recall clause. This itself suggests a mechanism to recall a people's representative, in case he or she is found wanting or if the trust and confidence of the people have been betrayed.

On what basis should the recall clause be made operational is the tough and interesting part. As the gentleman in his contribution had put it, the recall should be done by the people who voted for him or her and not those who voted against him or her. This seems fair.

The no choice option is again one mechanism that sounds promising. To make this no choice option effective it is important to insert another clause which should read as, "if fifty percent of the electorate punch the no choice option, then a fresh election should be held."

Other mechanisms to check money and muscle power, to bar history sheeters and criminals from contesting the election, etc need to be worked out too.

Today, if the political class have become such a hate word to quite a number of people and if majority of the citizens throw their hands up in despair with the 'what can we do' resignation, the reason for such a sorry state of affairs can be found embedded in the electoral system, which has proved that it has more flaws than merit.

Time for all the conscientious people to come together and put this as one of their topmost agenda or else, queues outside petrol pumps will continue to be the defining characteristic of Manipur