BANGALORE: By framing a comprehensive legislation for political parties, they must be kept under check. Separate laws must be made to disqualify them if found to be violating legislation, said T S Krishnamurthy, former chief election commissioner of India.
Speaking at the seminar on ‘Electoral Reforms’ organised by Youth Against Corruption here on Monday, he said, “In the present scenario corruption is more or less due to politics and administration. Laws must be made which bars a candidate with criminal background from contesting in elections. Powers must be conferred with the Election Commission to take stringent action on candidates who spend crores of rupees to buy votes.”
Krishnamurthy regretted that the suggestions made by him on important electoral reforms submitted to the prime minister in 2004, have not seen light of the day. He said the system of funding elections and code of conduct for political parties must take a legislative shape.
Appointment of the CEC should be done with collegium including prime minister, chief justice, Supreme Court and parliament. The CEC can be removed by impeachment whereas the election commissioners can be removed by the approval of the CEC.
Krishnamurthy also opined that the desirable ‘compulsory voting system’ cannot be implemented in India as the election commission has to spend a lot of time and money in finding out those did not vote. When the participants demanded the use of technology for the system of elections, Krishnamurthy said that any use of technology must have credibility and it should be approved only after over 60 per cent of the political parties and citizens accept it. But he suggested a gradual use of technology.
He said there are more incidents of frauds in byelections and said, “The ruling party can nominate a person to fill vacant posts without by-election or the candidate who had secured second highest votes can be called.”