Chief minister Mayawati on Sunday rejected the Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi’s suggestion that candidates with criminal antecedents should be disqualified from contesting. She said this could lead to misuse of law and jeopardise the interests of democracy.
“I am of firm view that nobody should be barred from becoming a candidate without conviction. Any such provision in law could be misused and would prove to be a ploy against political detractors,’’ Mayawati said. She was addressing a conference on electoral reforms at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University.
The CM’s remarks came after the CEC said he was in favour of debarring candidates against whom charges are framed from contesting polls. Quraishi said after a person was imprisoned, his rights of movement, freedom and earning were not allowed. “Why can’t we then bar criminals from contesting elections, which is not even a fundamental right,’’ he said.
The conference was attended by Union law minister Veerappa Moily, chairman, state advisory council S C Mishra and legal luminaries from various parts of the country.
Uttarakhand CM Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ endorsed Quraishi’s views, saying criminals and mafia should be kept out from electoral process. Other points, suggested by him were formulation of code of conduct for electronic and print media and direct election of chief ministers and prime minister by the people instead of legislators and Ministers of Parliament.
Mayawati also opposed CEC’s views that the state funding of elections was a dangerous proposition as this would burden the government with a huge expenditure. Mayawati said the entire election expenditure of political parties should be borne by the Centre, as this would lead to free and fair elections and also prevent criminalisation of politics.
The electoral reforms, she said, should be done in a manner in which the weakest sections of the society, particularly dalits, could exercise their voting right freely and fearlessly.
Addressing the conference, Veerappa Moily said electoral reforms were necessary as the democracy could not be sustained on ills plaguing it.
Source: The Times of India Dated 31.01.2011
“I am of firm view that nobody should be barred from becoming a candidate without conviction. Any such provision in law could be misused and would prove to be a ploy against political detractors,’’ Mayawati said. She was addressing a conference on electoral reforms at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University.
The conference was attended by Union law minister Veerappa Moily, chairman, state advisory council S C Mishra and legal luminaries from various parts of the country.
Uttarakhand CM Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ endorsed Quraishi’s views, saying criminals and mafia should be kept out from electoral process. Other points, suggested by him were formulation of code of conduct for electronic and print media and direct election of chief ministers and prime minister by the people instead of legislators and Ministers of Parliament.
Mayawati also opposed CEC’s views that the state funding of elections was a dangerous proposition as this would burden the government with a huge expenditure. Mayawati said the entire election expenditure of political parties should be borne by the Centre, as this would lead to free and fair elections and also prevent criminalisation of politics.
The electoral reforms, she said, should be done in a manner in which the weakest sections of the society, particularly dalits, could exercise their voting right freely and fearlessly.
Addressing the conference, Veerappa Moily said electoral reforms were necessary as the democracy could not be sustained on ills plaguing it.
Source: The Times of India Dated 31.01.2011
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