People's Democracy

Stop The Govt Propaganda

CPI(M) Tells EC

ON behalf of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Polit Bureau member, S Ramachandran Pillai, and Central Committee member, Hari Singh Kang, attended the meeting of the political parties convened by the Election Commission of India on February 20, 2004.

The following points were raised by the representatives of the CPI(M) in the meeting.

1. The Election Commission should announce the date of elections immediately, so that the model code of conduct will come into operation. The Election Commission should intervene to stop the advertisements being issued by the various departments of the central government about the performance of the government. These advertisements are nothing but political propaganda using tax payers money.

2. When dates for elections are announced, the Election Commission should take into consideration festivals, harvesting seasons, examinations etc.   In West Bengal elections should be held only after April 26 because of the higher secondary school examinations.  The elections in Tripura and other northeastern states should be held in the first phase itself in view of the terrorist threats and the impending monsoons.  As far as possible, elections in a particular state should be conducted in a single day especially in the case of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu etc.

3. The Election Commission should take steps to ban advertisements on TV and other electronic media in order to avoid distortion of the election process by using money power.

4. The amended provisions of the Representation of the People Act provides for a model code of conduct for cable operators.  Section 39A (4) reads as follows: "The Election Commission may, for the purposes of this section, make code of conduct for cable operators and electronic media and the cable operators and every person managing or responsible for the management of the electronic media shall abide by such code of conduct."  The Election Commission should take immediate steps to make a code of conduct.

5. Election Commission should regulate advertisements in the print media.  Some restriction should be imposed in the publication of poll surveys. The Election Commission can provide a format for that purpose.

6. As per the amended provisions of the Representation of the People Act, the expenditure incurred by the political party except the expenditure incurred by the leaders of the political party on account of travel for propagating programme of the political party is included in the election expenditure of the candidates.  The explanation given in section 77 of the Representation of the People Act reads as follows: "(a) the expenditure incurred by leaders of a political party on account of travel by air or by any other means of transport for propagating programme of the political party shall not be deemed to be the expenditure in connection with the election incurred or authorised by a candidate of that political party or his election agent for the purposes of this sub-section."  The Election Commission should ensure that the exemption should apply only in the case when the leaders of the political party participate in propagating programme of the political party.  The Act does not exclude the expenditure incurred for travelling by a leader of the political party for campaigning for a candidate or candidates.

7. The Kolkata High Court, in 2001, passed a judgement banning the holding of public meetings or using of loud speakers during the period of examinations and also for three weeks before the examinations begin.  This is creating restrictions for organising political propaganda.  The Election Commission should also intervene to see that the ban is lifted.

8. There are complaints about voters list, polling booths, identification cards etc.  All such complaints should be taken care by election authorities as expeditiously as possible.   The Election Commission should ensure this.

(INN)