Electoral reforms

Introduction:

In a democratic country people form the government people elect the government and assign them the power to act on behalf of the country and its people. On a good faith people elect the government and expect the government to make and maintain the country as a welfare state. In recent time citizens our country are feed up with the ease at which corruption takes place, frequency and the levels of corruption, inefficiency of the investigating agency to tackle corruption and the judiciary to punish the corrupt. Government is inefficient to tackle the aggressions with in the country and from the external forces. The economical situation of the country is becoming week day by day, inflation, etc. The environmental pollution is become a great threat for our future generation, a suitable development is now seen as an impossible if we consider the way the in which the government allows the corporate and multination to erode the natural non renewable wealth of our national at a very cheaper price as compared to international market values of such resources. When a government or set of government or literally all the government fail to deliver, then there is a serious problem in the formation or election of the government. The citizen of a democratic country has the power to punish the corrupt and inefficient politicians in election. The state legislative assembly elections in Tamilnadu, Kerala and west Bengal are around the corner. It’s the appropriate time to discuss the origin, evolution and methods of election and also the reforms that are necessary for electing the deserving candidate.

Existing System in India:

In our existing system of election the candidate who gets the highest number of votes are declared as a winner of the election. Is this method a correct method to elect the candidate, so let us analysis the current method of election system, the election commission make MLA and MP constituency.

Candidates		% of vote
A	45000	30%
B	40000	27%
C	20000	13%
D	20000	13%
E	25000	17%
Recorded votes	150000
Absent from voting	50000
total number of voter	200000

The candidates who are willing to participate in the election in a constituency make an application. On qualifying the initial qualification, the election commission announces the candidates in that particular constituency. Let us that there are 5 Candidates contesting the election. The below are the votes that each has got, according to existing system A will be announced as the winner of the election but if we actually see another side of this system.

People vote for A	30%
People vote against A	70%

In this case it’s clear that the majority of the people has rejected the candidature of A but in our existing system person as is the winner, Can this system be considered as the correct system of electing a candidate.

Aggregate vote system:

Let see an alternative system of election the members to legislature of a state. In this system, political party shall contest in all constituencies, based on the percentage of votes that party has got in the election particular political party will be allowed to have the number of member in the legislative assembly.

Party		% of vote
A	45000	30%
B	40000	27%
C	20000	13%
D	20000	13%
E	25000	17%
Recorded votes	150000
Absent from voting	50000
total number of voter	200000

In the above example, Party A will 30 % of the membership to legislative assembly, (ie for example 500 seat x 30% = 150 members). Party B will get 27% of the membership to legislative assembly. In this method seem to be a better method of electing the government. In this method the political party should have popularity in all most all constituency and therefore the regional parties will cease to exist by this method an full fledged single party rule is quite possible, thus the coalition politics may be avoided compared to the existing system.

Dual vote system:

The 3 method of election of the voters are given two sets of votes, one is for the candidate and the other is against a candidate. Let’s consider a example,

Candidates	For	Against	Effective	% for	% against
A	45000	31000	14000	30%	20.67%
B	40000	24000	16000	27%	16.00%
C	20000	35000	-15000	13%	23.33%
D	20000	30000	-10000	13%	20.00%
E	25000	30000	-5000	17%	20.00%
Recorded votes	150000	150000
Absenting from voting	50000
total number of voter	200000

In the above example candidates can be best judged by the excess votes of for the candidate against the votes against the candidates. In the above example candidate B is the winner though he has got 27 % for votes but his against votes 16% is the lowest which makes him the winner of the election. This system is the best system because there is option of for and against vote. In this system a candidate shall be restrained from participating any next election if has failed to get the excess of for votes to that of excess votes.

Dual vote with none of the above system:

The 4 method of election of the voters are given two sets of votes or no of the above votes, one is for the candidate and the other is against a candidate or no of the above vote which means that instead of one vote for a candidate the voter is provided with only option to vote against all the candidates. In this method the number of for votes and against would not be the equal.

Candidates	For	Agaist	none of the above	Effective	% for	% agaist
A	32000	1000	25000	6000	21%	0.67%
B	30000	2000	25000	3000	20%	1.33%
C	20000	33000	25000	-38000	13%	22.00%
D	18000	44000	25000	-51000	12%	29.33%
E	25000	45000	25000	-45000	17%	30.00%
Recorded votes	125000	125000	25000
Absenting from voting	50000
total number of voter	200000

In the above example illustrates the working of the above method. This no option method can opted with the exist method of voting recording method.

Candidates	For	Agianst	Diff	% of vote
A	35000	30000	5000	23%
B	32000	30000	2000	21%
C	20000	30000	-10000	13%
D	10000	30000	-20000	7%
E	23000	30000	-7000	15%
Recorded votes	120000	30000
Absenting from voting	50000
total number of voter	200000

In this type of method were none of the above option is available, there is chance of no result or total rejection of the candidate in order to avoid the such a situation, for and against vote method is best method where there is no chance of no result and at the same time there is two option for the voters. The voters are more empowered.

Rules against Democratic monarch:

Many political parties were started with an idea and belief to serve the people and make the state a welfare state. When time passed, few greedy people or ill minded persons started to convert the party into a family property. Public is very much aware of it but refuse to consider it an evil to the society and need for some corrective measures. This tendency has been take into advantage by the ill minded politicians. A family run politics and caste / region based political party has to be curbed not by force but by bringing necessary restriction on function of the political party.

Setting eligibility criteria to be a member of the political party and to have qualification to contest an election is necessary. This would prevent sudden rising of monarchy type of rule in a democratic setup. Political parties are often considered as inheritable property of single family. This is very wrong precedent and this will lead to situation of a democratic monarch situation where in several family run political parties, shall contest and will over the ruling power of the country.

One would have come across the term Bottom up method, in this system the process start from a lower point and slowly progress upwards to the finish point, by adopting this system a person will have to claim form the lowest point and upwards, like a school kids to graduation. Some of the key eligibility criteria that needs to be brought for candidate who are fight the election on behalf of a political party are,

1. A person in order to become a member of a political party he has to make a provisional registration for membership for a period of three after attaining a age of 21 years. Only after a completion of a period of three year he can successfully register as a candidate.

2. It’s important that every member of political party to be at least a member for 5 years before he could contest any public election.

3. Candidate should contest the lowest post like councillor of ward.

4. If he is not able to win the election on first three occasions, he shall be declared unfit to contest any further in any public election.

5. Candidate should only after winning the second term as councillor, shall qualify for municipal chairman or mayor of the corporation.

6. only after 3^rd term as councillor shall qualify for MLA election

7. Only after a term of MLA shall qualify for MP election.

Well debated and overall acceptable reforms in election should be brought at the earliest possible. The job would be left half done it there is no mechanism to constantly analysis the system and to bring about improvement on a consistent basis. It’s important to set standards for the candidates who contest the election and equally for the political party. In any country developing a good system is important, crucial part to it would be the implementation of such system.