Poll panel awaits law ministry’s nod to election reform proposals EC examines Cong’s request on party polls
NEW DELHI : The Election Commission is waiting for the law ministry to take a call on a slew of proposals put forth by it to decriminalise elections and check the use of graft to impact poll outcome.
Delivering his inaugural address at the ‘National Interactive Conference on Electoral Laws - Strategic Vision for Future Laws’ on Saturday, chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi said proposals pertaining to decriminalisation of politics, prevention of abuse of money, transparency in funding of political parties, making bribery a cognisable offence, criminalising paid news, empowering ECI to countermand election in cases of bribery and abuse on the lines of countermanding in event of both capturing, are being scrutinised by a task force set up by the ministry.
The ministry recently turned down the commission’s demand for powers to countermand polls in case of bribery as is allowed for booth capturing.
While law ministry sources said, the suggestion has not been accepted since it is difficult to prove bribery, EC officials said they will urge them to reconsider the proposal.
“We feel that there should be well defined electoral laws rather than using residuary powers under Art 324 frequently,” Zaidi said.
He added that ECI will not hesitate to invoke Art 324 in the “interest of purity of election.”
During the assembly polls in Tamil Nadu in May 2016, elections in two constituencies were cancelled after the Election Commission found misuse of money during the elections .
“The EC soon thereafter proposed amendment in RP Act to have a mirror provision in the law on parallel of countermanding of elections on account of booth capturing,” Zaidi said.
The CEC said there is a need to undertake comprehensive review of the RP Act in view of issues and challenges that have been thrown up before the commission from time to time.
UNDER EC RULES,
ALL REGISTERED POLITICAL PARTIES HAVE TO HOLD ORGANISATIONAL ELECTIONS ANNUALLY
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission is examining a request from the Congress, seeking a year’s time to hold organisational elections.
Under the EC’s rules, all registered political parties have to hold organisational elections annually.
According to sources, the EC received a letter from the Congress more than a week ago, seeking more time for holding organisational elections.
If the party gets the EC’s nod, it will mean a year’s extension for Congress president Sonia Gandhi and for the office bearers including vice-president Rahul Gandhi. It would also mean that Sonia’s term as party president would be extended for a second time. She had been given an extension after her term ended on December 31 last year.
The Congress Working Committee on November 7 recommended a year’s extension for her as the party president.
“Unless the grounds for delaying elections are not satisfactory, there should not be a problem in giving an extension. But the call will be taken by the EC after examining the request,” said a source.
The grand old party wants to delay internal polls keeping in view the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur early next year.