INDEPENDENT ELECTION COMMISSION

INDEPENDENT ELECTION COMMISSION

We get to read a lot about unfair practices in elections. Newspapers and television reports often refer to such allegations. Most of these reports are about the following:

*  Inclusion of false names and exclusion of genuine names in the voters’ list;

*  Misuse of government facilities and officials by the ruling party;

*  Excessive use of money by rich candidates and big parties; and

*  Intimidation of voters and rigging on the polling day.

Many of these reports are correct. We feel unhappy when we read or see such reports. But fortunately they are not on such a scale so as to defeat the very purpose of elections. This becomes clear if we ask a basic question: Can a party win an election and come to power not because it has popular support but through electoral malpractices? This is a vital question. Let us carefully examine various aspects of this question.

One simple way of checking whether elections are fair or not is to look at who conducts the elections. Are they independent of the government? Or can the government or the ruling party influence or pressurise them? Do they have enough powers to be able to conduct free and fair elections? Do they actually use these powers?

The answer to all these questions is quite positive for our country. In our country elections are conducted by an independent and very powerful Election Commission (EC). It enjoys the same kind of independence that the judiciary enjoys. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) is appointed by the President of India. But once appointed, the Chief Election Commissioner is not answerable to the President or the government. Even if the ruling party or the government does not like what the Commission does, it is virtually impossible for it to remove the CEC.

Very few election commissions in the world have such wide-ranging powers as the Election Commission of India.

*  EC takes decisions on every aspect of conduct and control of elections from the announcement of elections to the declaration of results.

*  It implements the Code of Conduct and punishes any candidate or party that violates it.

*  During the election period, the EC can order the government to follow some guidelines, to prevent use and misuse of governmental power to enhance its chances to win elections, or to transfer some government officials.

*  When on election duty, govern- ment officers work under the con- trol of the EC and not the government.

In the last 25 years or so, the Election Commission has begun to exercise all its powers and even expand them. It is very common now for the Election Commission to reprimand the government and administration for their lapses. When election officials come to the opinion that polling was not fair in some booths or even an entire constituency, they order a repoll. The ruling parties often do not like what the EC does. But they have to obey. This would not have happened if the EC was not independent and powerful.

Activity:

Read these headlines carefully and identify which powers are used by the Election Commission in each instance to ensure free and fair elections.

Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK

POPULAR PARTICIPATION

POPULAR PARTICIPATION

Another way to check the quality of the election process is to see whether people participate in it with enthusiasm. If the election process is not free or fair, people will not continue to participate in the exercise. Now, read these charts and draw some conclusions about participation in India.

People’s participation in election is usually measured by voter turnout figures. Turnout indicates the per cent of eligible voters who actually cast their vote. Over the last fifty years, the turnout in Europe and North America has declined. In India the turnout has either remained stable or actually gone up.

Figure 1: Voter turnout in India and the UK

In India the poor, illiterate and underprivileged people vote in larger proportion as compared to the rich and privileged sections. This is in contrast to western democracies. For example, in the United States of America, poor people, African Americans and Hispanics vote much less than the rich and the white people.

Figure 2: Voter turnout in india and us by social groups, 2004

Common people in India attach a lot of importance to elections. They feel that through elections they can bring pressure on political parties to adopt policies and programmes favourable to them. They also feel that their vote matters in the way things are run in the country.

Figure 3: Do you think your vote makes a difference?

The interest of voters in election- related activities has been increasing over the years. During the 2004 elections, more than one- third voters took part in a campaign-related activity. More than half of the people identified themselves as being close to one or the other political party. One out of every seven voters is a member of a political party.

Figure 4: Those who participated in any election related activity in India

Activity:

Ask the eligible voters in your family whether they voted in the last election to the Lok Sabha or to the state assembly. If they did not, ask them why did they not vote. If they did, ask them which party and candidate they voted for and why. Also ask them whether they had participated in any other election-related activity like attending an election meeting or rally etc.

Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK

ACCEPTANCES OF ELECTION OUTCOME

ACCEPTANCES OF ELECTION OUTCOME

One final test of the free and fairness of election has in the outcome itself. If elections are not free or fair, the outcome always favours the powerful. In such a situation, the ruling parties do not lose elections. Usually, the losing party does not accept the outcome of a rigged election.

The outcome of India’s elections speaks for itself:

*   The ruling parties routinely lose elections in India both at the national and state level. In fact in every two out of the three elections held in the last 25 years, the ruling party lost.

*   In the US, an incumbent or ‘sitting’ elected representative rarely loses an election. In India about half of the sitting MPs or MLAs lose elections.

*   Candidates who are known to have spent a lot of money on ‘buying votes’ and those with known criminal connections often lose elections.

*   Barring very few disputed elections, the electoral outcomes are usually accepted as ‘people’s verdict’ by the defeated party

Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK

CHALLENGE TO FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS

CHALLENGE TO FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS

All this leads to a simple conclusion: elections in India are basically free and fair. The party that wins an elec- tion and forms government does so because people have chosen it over its rivals. This may not be true for every constituency. A few candidates may win purely on the basis of money power and unfair means. But the overall verdict of a general elec- tion still reflects popular preference. There are very few exceptions to this rule in the last 60 years in our country. This is what makes Indian elections democratic.

Yet the picture looks different if we ask deeper questions: Are people’s preferences based on real knowledge? Are the voters getting a real choice? Is election really level playing field Questions of this kind bring the many limitations and challenges of Indian elections to our attention. These include :

*   Candidates and parties with a lot of money may not be sure of their victory but they do enjoy a big and unfair advantage over smaller parties and independents.

*   In some parts of the country, candidates with criminal connection have been able to push others out of the electoral race and to secure a ‘ticket’ from major parties.

*   Some families tend to dominate political parties; tickets are distributed to relatives from these families.

*   Very often elections offer little choice to ordinary citizens, for both the major parties are quite similar to each other both in policies and practice.

*   Smaller parties and independent candidates suffer a huge disadvantage compared to bigger parties.

These challenges exist not just in India but also in many established democracies. These deeper issues are a matter of concern for those who believe in democracy. That is why citizens, social activists and organisations have been demanding reforms in our electoral system. Can you think of some reforms? What can an ordinary citizen do to face these challenges?

Activity:

1.  The leader is coming out of a press conference: “What was the need to say that we have distributed tickets only amongst suitable and winnable family relations?” Do you think that family politics is confined to only a few states or parties?

2.  Titled ‘Electoral Campaigns’, this cartoon was drawn in the Latin American context. Does this apply to India and to other democracies in the world?

3.  Is this an accurate picture of what happens to the voter before and after elections? Must this always happen in a democracy? Can you think of examples when this did not happen?

4.  Here are some facts on Indian elections. Comment on each of these to say whether they reflect the strength or the weakness of our electoral system:

          *   The 16th Lok Sabha has 12 per cent women members.

          *   The Election Commission often refuses to accept the government’s advice about when the elections should be held.

          *   The 16th Lok Sabha has more than 440 members whose assets are more than Rs.1 crore.

          *   After losing an election the Chief Minister said: “I respect the people’s verdict”.        

Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK