The Hindu : CEC for amendment to end `campaign corruption'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 30, 2004

National

National

CEC for amendment to end `campaign corruption'

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, MARCH 29. The Chief Election Commissioner, T.S. Krishnamurthy, has called for a constitutional amendment to curb "campaign corruption" by political parties.

In an interview to the Hardnews, Mr. Krishnamurthy said the frequency of elections leading to increase in expenditure and political corruption were the result of the functioning of political parties. "Since we follow the parliamentary system of democracy based on the Westminster model, if a vote of confidence leads to a defeat, it will lead to the fall of the government. Unless there is a constitutional amendment, this will continue.

He was confident of ridding the election campaign of the "dirty money" involved in it. The real problem was that the ceiling on candidates' expenditure was limited from the date of nomination to the date of polling.

"Expenditure incurred before the nomination does not come under the ceiling. Similarly, party expenditure on general party matters are not included for the candidates," he said, indicating that the ceiling had a very limited role.

In his reckoning, the law on expenditure during elections was poorly drafted and the Commission had asked the Law Ministry to look into it.

Mr. Krishnamurthy said there was lack of internal democracy in the political parties and his prescription is that the "political parties should be run like companies. If in the Companies Act there is provision for a rotation of directors, I see no reason why there should be no rotation of functionaries in political parties, as they are dealing with the funds of the public."

On bogus voting, he admitted that there are ``imperfections'' in the system. ``It is not the Commission's responsibility alone to ensure the purity of elections. Important things like deletion and enlistment of voters have to be done by State Government officials and teachers."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National