09-24-2011, 07:03 PM
The monitoring of the 2G investigation by the Supreme Court is increasingly putting pressure on the Government to come out with more and more damaging information. The public is getting the first hand feel of corruption at high levels and to what extent it has been institutionalized and made a part of the decision making process.
We have to think of the genesis of the problem, it starts at the point of funding for the elections. Under the present electoral system the candidates and the political parties are required to finance the publicity and canvassing for support for each candidate. So the various candidates who contests election are required to arrange huge amount of money to finance his campaign. The finally elected candidate during his tenure as a member of the legislature ensures that he is able to get back the investment that he has made to get elected.
The other aspect is the financing of the political parties directly. According to recent media reports the maximum amount of donations are made by anonymous donors. These are big business people who give such donations to all major political parties. Once a particular political party or combinations of parties comes to power, the financers expect special favors from the party in power.
The two above mentioned aspects play a major role in political interference in all major deals between the Government departments and the private sector. The system of showing favors to certain entities by the political decision makers percolates down the line. Thus the Government functionaries at various levels get involved in major decision making or in the implementation of decisions of the Government.
In view of the reasons indicated above, it is high time that we should revisit the whole question of financing the electoral process. It has to be ensured that the candidates are not required to incur expenditure to get themselves elected to the legislature. The whole election process needs to be kept at a modest level and needs to be financed through some institutional mechanism.
We have to think of the genesis of the problem, it starts at the point of funding for the elections. Under the present electoral system the candidates and the political parties are required to finance the publicity and canvassing for support for each candidate. So the various candidates who contests election are required to arrange huge amount of money to finance his campaign. The finally elected candidate during his tenure as a member of the legislature ensures that he is able to get back the investment that he has made to get elected.
The other aspect is the financing of the political parties directly. According to recent media reports the maximum amount of donations are made by anonymous donors. These are big business people who give such donations to all major political parties. Once a particular political party or combinations of parties comes to power, the financers expect special favors from the party in power.
The two above mentioned aspects play a major role in political interference in all major deals between the Government departments and the private sector. The system of showing favors to certain entities by the political decision makers percolates down the line. Thus the Government functionaries at various levels get involved in major decision making or in the implementation of decisions of the Government.
In view of the reasons indicated above, it is high time that we should revisit the whole question of financing the electoral process. It has to be ensured that the candidates are not required to incur expenditure to get themselves elected to the legislature. The whole election process needs to be kept at a modest level and needs to be financed through some institutional mechanism.