Election Commission asks parties to explain how they plan to finance poll promises
- October 5, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Election Commission asks parties to explain how they plan to finance poll promises
Subject :Governance
Context : The Election Commission of India wrote to parties proposing that they spell out ways and means of raising additional resources to finance the promises, and the impact it would have on the fiscal sustainability of the state or the Central government.
Concept :
- The EC, in its letter to all recognised national and state parties, has prescribed a standardised disclosure proforma for them to declare quantification of the physical coverage of the schemes promised, financial implications of the promise and availability of the financial resources.
- The parties will have to detail how they propose to raise the additional resources to finance the scheme or schemes if voted to power – like whether they plan an increase in tax and non-tax revenues, rationalise expenditure, go for additional borrowings or do it in any other manner.
- In addition to the above, the impact on the fiscal sustainability also has to be specified by the political parties.
- To make these steps mandatory, the EC plans to propose an amendment to the relevant clauses in the Model Code of Conduct(MCC).
- As per SC directive, EC has already framed guidelines in 2015 and 2019 under MCC to regulate and standardize the electoral manifestoes published by the political parties.
About Model Code of Conduct
- The MCC is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission (EC) to regulate political parties and candidates prior to elections. Basically, the code spells out the do’s and don’ts for elections.
- This is in keeping with Article 324 of the Constitution, which mandates EC to conduct free and fair elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures.
- It is not statutory but Political Parties, Candidates and Polling Agents are expected to observe the norms, on matters ranging from the content of election manifestos, speeches and processions, to general conduct etc.
- The code comes into force on the announcement of the poll schedule and remains operational till the process is concluded.
- The EC has devised several mechanisms to take note of the violation of the code, which include joint task forces of enforcement agencies and flying squads.
Legal Enforcement
- Though MCC does not have any statutory backing, but the Code has come to acquire teeth in the past decade because of its strict enforcement by the EC.
- Certain provisions of the MCC may be enforced through invoking corresponding provisions in other statutes such as the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and Representation of the People Act, 1951.
- In 2013, the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, recommended making the model code of conduct legally binding. It recommended that the MCC be made a part of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
- The EC argues against making it legally binding. According to it, elections must be completed within a relatively short time or close to 45 days, and judicial proceedings typically take longer, therefore it is not feasible to make it enforceable by law.