Bangalore, February 13 (PTI): A comprehensive amendment to electoral reforms will be brought about in the next three to four months, Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said on Sunday. “A comprehensive amendment is the need of the hour and will be brought about in the next three to four months after a national consultation on the issue,” he said at the Sixth Regional Consultation on Electoral Reforms here.
He said the recommendation made by the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, 2001, to enhance existing ceiling on election expenses for the various legislative bodies to Rs 40 lakh for a Lok Sabha seat and Rs 16 lakh for an assembly seat from Rs 25 lakh and Rs 10 lakh respectively at present, will be cleared within a week. “If we can find one instrument to wipe out money power, presence of mafia, power exercised by the criminals, rest will be alright. We need to eliminate criminals whose ultimate aim is to grab national power through financing political parties,” he said. “For this, we need to address the basics of democracy. The governance of democracy needs to be sanitised. We need to work on a system which is free and fair”, Moily said.
He emphasised the need to reflect the voice of the people in the proposals put forward for electoral reforms and also for “sanitising the criminal justice system” by ensuring that all corruption cases both at the state and the central level are tried within six months. Social auditing may also have to be included in the electoral reforms, Moily said.
He said the recommendation made by the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, 2001, to enhance existing ceiling on election expenses for the various legislative bodies to Rs 40 lakh for a Lok Sabha seat and Rs 16 lakh for an assembly seat from Rs 25 lakh and Rs 10 lakh respectively at present, will be cleared within a week. “If we can find one instrument to wipe out money power, presence of mafia, power exercised by the criminals, rest will be alright. We need to eliminate criminals whose ultimate aim is to grab national power through financing political parties,” he said. “For this, we need to address the basics of democracy. The governance of democracy needs to be sanitised. We need to work on a system which is free and fair”, Moily said.
He emphasised the need to reflect the voice of the people in the proposals put forward for electoral reforms and also for “sanitising the criminal justice system” by ensuring that all corruption cases both at the state and the central level are tried within six months. Social auditing may also have to be included in the electoral reforms, Moily said.
