The idea of having synchronised elections for Panchayat/Municipality/Legislature and Parliament is an excellent idea. For a nation with multi-level admin functions, a single election is a much desired exercise as we can kill four birds in one stone. This will save a lot of time and money now spent in organising these elections at different periods of time. The lengthy preparations that go into it by roping in staff and teachers from various departments/schools also affect the functioning of those departments/institutions. The huge expenses incurred in travel, security, movement of personnel, erecting pandals, putting up ramps, moving the voting machinery will now be solved in one go and save the taxpayers’ money. It may encourage more people to come out and vote to provide good governance.
Before embarking on this idea and to make it fruitful, it is of prime importance that we should bring in electoral reforms simultaneously to ensure that this exercise does not turn futile. The aam aadmi who decides the fate of each candidate would want some changes to be introduced in the system. A few of my thoughts:
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Putting a limit on up to what age and how many elections can an individual contest? Seventy years or five terms is desirable.
Once elected, the candidate should not be allowed to change the party or resign from the seat till the term ends.
An individual who wants to change his party at the end of the term should have a cooling time of three years before contesting again in any election.
The issuance of whip should be stopped and legislators allowed to vote freely according to the dictates of their conscience and on merits taking into consideration the promises they made to the electorate before the polls.
A person who resigns the seat other than for health reasons should never be allowed to contest any elections thereafter in the same category.
Under no circumstances, should the Parliament/Legislature be adjourned due to disruptions and offenders should be dealt with accordingly.
Once elected, the Parliament /Legislature must complete the full term of five years by respecting the wishes of the electorate without dissolution or mid- term poll.
No business should be transacted or financial bills passed unless they are debated and discussed with inputs from all political parties.
Only the person called by the Speaker should be on his feet and any interruption other than on point of order must be treated as disruption.
A legislator should be a graduate, without a criminal background.
Candidates with criminal background or with cases pending in courts should not be allowed to contest till they are absolved from the offence.
All legislators should be paid a fixed uniform remuneration for the duration of the term. The scale of payment should be fixed as in the case of government employees.
Disqualification petitions should be decided within three months. Until then, the legislator may attend Parliament/Assembly but should not be allowed to vote, speak or hold a ministerial position.
There should not be any midterm elections except when the sitting candidate dies.
Promises made to the electorate in the party manifesto must be honoured.
If these regulations can be implemented along with an acceptable new voting pattern only then we will have a meaningful government. A Statesman once said that Democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people to which the wise man replied that it is also for the affluent and not the effluent which may sometimes elect a majority of fools. Let us be a showcase to the world and not just boast that we are the largest elected democracy.
