In anticipation of Parliamentary elections scheduled for 2014, the UPA Government is mulling amendments in the Representative of People Act. The proposal is that if 12 months prior to the holding of elections, such charges of heinous crimes are brought against a person as carrying seven year imprisonment, he/she shall be barred from contesting polls. Rape, kidnapping and murder are included among heinous crimes. However, the opposition might insist on only six months period before the commencement of Lok Sabha elections and not 12 months. Perhaps the opposition feels that the Government could misuse a long period of 12 months and hence it needs to be reduced to only six months. Obviously, the UPA Government will have to build consensus on the amendment to the Act and is in a hurry to rush it through because the Parliament is meeting for the winter session on December 5 and has only 12 sittings. We think such an amendment is a healthy sign of keeping the Parliament’s doors closed on the criminals. There is a long standing complaint that criminals and people with dark credentials have been finding their way into the Parliament and this is a blot on our democracy.
In yet another bid to stamp out corruption, the Election Commission has, for the third time, strongly written to the Government to bring about an amendment stipulating that retired bureaucrats would need cooling time to join any political party after they have ceased to be in active service. Though the Government has not shown its willingness to accept the suggestion of the Election Commission, yet the public opinion is strongly in favour of the suggestion made by the EC. Bureaucrats who join a political party immediately after their retirement could hinder fair deal because they are unlikely to overcome partisan instinct once they become party men. Another amendment the Government is contemplating in the Representative of People Act is to bar a candidate from contesting from two constituencies. While political parties are not willing to support the proposal, the Government hopes to build opinion in favour of its contention. The argument is that multiple seats lead to early by-election and the Election Commission would like to avoid that.
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