Polls: From party to voter-centric By Poonam I Kaushish As we celebrate the New Year a question nags. Does democracy and compulsion go hand-in-hand? Not on the face of it as they are contradictory. The first epitomizes freedom while the latter is a symbol of dictatorial force per se. Yet at times even in a democracy, use of authoritarianism is a necessary evil. India joined a host of other democracies to exercise this pressure. Nicknamed compulsory voting. Way to go!
Kudos to Gujarat for becoming the first State to make voting compulsory in all local body elections: 7 municipal corporations, 159 municipalities, 26 district panchayats, 223 taluk panchayats and 13,713 village panchayats. According to the Gujarat Local Authorities Law. (Amendment) Bill, 2009 registered voters who do not participate in local elections will have a month to explain their absence, following which they will face action, fine or jail. Exemption will be granted on account of illness, absence from the country or state on polling day and for any other reason prescribed by the state.
Significantly, the Bill also provides the option whereby the voter can reject all candidates. Ironically, the right of negative voting proposed by the Election Commission remains in limbo with the Parliamentary Committee on Law and Justice.
Expectedly, Chief Minister Modi’s ‘historic and revolutionary move to strengthen democracy,” evoked mixed reactions. Winning wholesome praise from unexpected quarters, RJD Chief Lalu backed it given that voting percentages are declining across the board, from municipal to Parliamentary elections. Both the Congress and Left played spoilers by calling the idea “impractical, politically motivated” and “anti- democratic”.
The Election Commission chose to hedge its bets. While watching the Gujarat initiative “with interest”, Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla argued that it would be impractical and unfeasible to force 815m voters to compulsorily vote. Particularly, as 40% of the electorate don’t exercise their vote.
It is a moot point whether compulsory voting will increase the voting percentages? Cut down electoral expenses? Reduce the role of black money and curb corruption? Will democracy come up trumps?
Alas, over six decades the low percentage (60%) is a reflection of the peoples’ angst against our netagan and is in a way a vote against the system. This in turn has led to our democratic and polling system becoming Party-centric instead of voter-centric. As a result, political interests of parties have overpowered national interests. Thus, in this electoral milieu correctives are the need of the hour and compulsory voting an option worth trying. Not only will the voter become all-important but parties will have to address the concerns of all, not just region-specific voters.
Besides, mandatory voting would be a wake-up call to the citizens not to forget their duties and responsibilities. Be it the urban, educated middle class who stay away from voting on silly pretexts like disillusionment with the system, watching a TV serial or a cricket match. And the poor who prefer toiling or feeding their children than exercising their vote.
Both forget two important imperatives: One, it is we the people who elect Governments and make the system. Two, enjoying the rights and privileges conferred upon us as citizens is synonymous with our responsibilities and duties to the State. Underscored by an inherent quid pro quo. However, not a few are under the mistaken notion that in a democracy, our rights include the right not to vote, forgetting that voting is the raison d’ atre of a true democracy.
Think. Is it justifiable that 50% vote, a mere 26 % people rule for 5 years and an overwhelming 70% remain unrepresented without any say? Look at the absurdity, out of 100, 50 vote and persons with 20 votes win and decide what is good for the balance 80.
Jharkhand a case in point. About 60% of the electorate voted and threw up a fractured verdict. But today the JMM which had an alliance with the Congress pre-poll has dumped it post-poll and formed the Government with its electoral rivals, BJP and the All Jharkhand Students Union.
It can be argued that had coercive voting been in force one would not have stood witness to this political charade played with the voter. It would have gone a long way in help achieving real democracy by enhancing voter awareness, educating and enthusing him to vote. Also, when voters come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise, the role of black money is sure to be reduced whereby democracy would be strengthened.
Arguably, can’t a citizen take out just half-hour in 5 years for the most important electoral exercise that will dictate the course of his life for the next five years? In fact, compulsory voting has lead to the voting percentages shooting up from 45 to over 90% in 32 countries where the law is in force.
That apart, sadly, voting has also been relegated to only choosing the lesser evil. Not about getting the right man for the right job. Like in other walks of life, education, employment, scholarship etc. For post-poll, people have no way of expressing their despair and resentment. However, with moves afoot to enforce the option of exercising “none-of-the-above” (NOTA) on the ballot it will serve two purposes.
One, it would enable the voter to express his disgust with the all the candidates whom he perceives as either corrupt, criminal or representing cronyism by exercising the NOTA option. Two, NOTA serves as a stick to rattle candidates and parties because it helps the voter overcome the Hobson’s choice factor.
Once introduced, this will motivate even those voters to vote, who do not vote in the absence of a right candidate. Even the most cynical voter would be left with no excuse not to vote. And as more voters exercise the NOTA option, perhaps it could lead to a change for the better in the quality of the candidates.
Along with negative voting, voices have been raised over the citizens’ right to recall their non-functional and incompetent netas. Interestingly, Jayprakash Narayan wanted the right to recall introduced in the Constitution. He felt a mid-term poll was badly needed in a country like India. This would act like the Damocles sword over the MPs and MLAs and make them accountable to their voters. Questionably, if judges can be impeached why not our jan sevaks?
This would facilitate the people to assert themselves as the masters, recall candidates found wanting and elect others in their place. In fact, in 2003 a village in Madhya Pradesh wanted a referendum held midway. Dissatisfied with their Panchayat mukhiya, the villagers demanded his removal and the right to elect another in his place.
India should also debate the changeover to proportional representation wherein if a Party gets 5 per cent of the vote share it would be allotted an X number of seats in Parliament / Assemblies. Needless to say till we continue with band aid dressings for our electoral maladies and ‘sham’ democracy will continue to bleed. The time has come for a truly responsive and accountable polity. Towards that end, the aam voter needs to come out and Lead India.
In sum, Modi has shown the right direction to ensure a truly representative Legislature to make India’s democracy strictly of the people, by the people and for the people. Clearly, with over 50 per cent of the electorate between 18-30 years, a middle-class numbering almost 50 million and the country boasting of a 64 per cent literacy rate, the time has come for introducing radical electoral reforms all over the country. Enough is enough. Let Year 2010 be declared Year of the Voter! —- INFA