Let me start with two UNQUESTIONABLE facts. One, corruption is searing the nation, its polity, its economy & its society at large. Two, the single largest source of this corruption is linked to political funding. Elections are won on money power, not on the basis of competency of a person in solving issues. Right from the selection of candidates by political parties to the actual elections, money plays a dominant role. The rot starts at the beginning, Party tickets are sold to the candidate willing to offer the highest amount and the election itself is often won by candidates who can woo the electorate either outrightly with money or with gifts in kind. It is no secret that candidates routinely spend many times the ceiling fixed by the EC (25 lakh for a Lok Sabha seat) and the EC is powerless to do anything about it.
Work done by organisations like the Association for Democratic Reform suggests the average amount of money spent by candidates during the last general elections was upwards of 1 crore per constituency and often went up to close to 5 crore. Even better, while you and I pay our taxes and successive governments have repeatedly admonished tax payers for seeking tax exemptions (should you not do your bit for the country and all the rest of it!), when it comes to political parties its a different story altogether. Not only do they enjoy full exemption from income tax but from fiscal year 2009 donations to political parties have also been made tax exempt. Not surprisingly, political parties have amassed enormous wealth.
Details accessed by ADR under the Right to Information Act show how major political parties have prospered,the BSP and the NCP of UP showing the fastest growth in total assets at 59% and 51% during 2002-03 to 2009-10. Evidence suggests political parties are also being used as tax shelters since only about 10-15 % of about 1,200 political parties in the country actually contest elections, according to the EC.
While i was browsing to learn about any regulations brought about to curtail these practices i came across - The Political Parties (Registration and Regulation of Affairs) Act seeks to make political parties democratic, transparent, accountable and open to scrutiny by regulating the conduct and affairs of political parties such as funding and finances, auditing of accounts, election of its office bearers etc. More importantly, it provides for de-recognition of political parties, including preventing them from contesting elections where warranted. It proposes to give the EC more teeth by making it the Registrar of political parties.
No political party will be allowed to set up candidates to contest elections to either House of Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly of a State unless registered by the EC. Candidates will have to chosen in a democratic manner, preferably by secret ballot of registered members, and most importantly, in a process overseen by an external neutral body like EC. Parties will be required to maintain accounts and these will have to be audited.The Registrar will be competent to inquire, either suo-moto or on receiving information, into instances of non-compliance of any of the provisions of the Bill.And if satisfied about the fact of violation,can call on the party to rectify the omissions within a specified period prescribed.Failing which it can punish the political party and can also withdraw the partys registration.
This is a potent weapon and should go far to cleanse the system of many of its present ills. But the unanswered question is how effectively will this law be imposed ???? Our system always have infinite suspenses in store so lets wait and see
Hoping for the best ... Jai Hind
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