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| Sunday, 11 April 2004 |
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India's poll watchdog keeps politicians on short leash ahead of polls NEW DELHI, Saturday (AFP) Sonia Gandhi, on the campaign trail ahead of looming elections, recently left a state-owned mansion to hold a news conference on a dusty roadside. Using government property in her campaign would have stripped the opposition Congress party chief of the right to contest the national elections. The police chief of the northern state of Haryana, meanwhile, was forced to quit his post. His wife, Krishna Malik, was a candidate and his job could lead to charges of voter coercion in the vote beginning April 20. On February 29, Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani shelved plans to fly home to New Delhi by government jet from a remote part of southern India and instead took the train. He had just heard that the Electoral Commission had named the dates for the election, thereby bringing into immediate force India's stern electoral conduct code which seeks to guarantee the fairness of elections in the world's largest democracy. In the month since the code has been activated, the autonomous Election Commission has barred some 3,377 politicians from contesting national or state elections for three years on grounds of corruption, lavish spending on campaigning and convictions in criminal cases. The electoral code is a hefty volume. But aspirants and some 750 political parties in the fray must somehow make sure they do not break its provisions in order to survive until India's 675 million eligible voters cast their ballots in voting for the 545-seat lower house that ends May 10. "Even comparing this to Hammurabi's code of laws can be construed as criticism so it's wiser to keep our nose clean until the voting ends," said a Marxist MP, referring to the 18th-century BC ruler who codified laws governing Babylonian life. The dos and don'ts of the Conduct of Code is backed by India's Representations Act, a law that packs sweeping powers to strip a political party of its status or kick out individual players from the electoral arena in a single stroke. "The party in power shall ensure that no cause is given for any complaint that it has used its official position for the purposes of campaign. "Government ministers shall not combine official visits with electioneering and shall not also make use of official machinery or personnel during electioneering work," the code warns. It bars the launch of state projects after election dates are announced. It also warn parties from stoking communal tensions, bans criticism of rivals, personal attacks and puts religious sites off-limits for politicking. "All parties and candidates shall avoid scrupulously activities which are corrupt and offences under the election law, such as bribing of voters, intimidation, impersonation, canvassing within 100 metres (yards) of poll stations..." the code stipulates. It also bans graffiti, liquor gifts to woo voters, poster wars and puts a tight lid on poll-related expenses besides barring convicted politicians from contesting. Former Chief Election Commissioner James Lyngdoh, however, said India still had miles to go before it could be said to have fair elections. "The problem in India is the candidate does not stand a chance in elections if he does not spend a heavy amount irrespective of the party he belongs to," Lyngdoh said in published comments. But political commentator Anand Ojha said the election commission was the only institution that prevented the world's biggest democratic exercise from degenerating into a farce. "It is reviled. It is shunned but when their own turf comes under attack, politicians run to the election commission screaming blue murder," said Ojha. |
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