question_answer

  Here   are   some  reports   of  electoral malpractices from different parts of the world. Is there anything that these countries can learn from India to improve their elections? What would you suggest in each case? During an election in Nigeria, the officer incharge of counting votes deliberately increased the votes of one candidate and declared him elected. The court later found out that more than 5 lakh votes cast for one candidate were counted in favour of another. Just before elections in Fiji, a pamphlet was distributed warning voters that a vote for former Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhary will lead to bloodshed. This was a threat to voters of Indian origin. In the US, each state has its own method of voting, its own procedure of counting and its own authority for conducting elections. Authorities in the state of Florida took many controversial decisions that favoured Mr Bush in the Presidential elections in 2000. But no one could change those decisions. 

Answer:

                  (a) If the malpractice has been proved in a court, the elections should be declared null and void and re-election should be held in that constituency. The officer in charge of the counting should be given strict punishment for committing such irregularity.          The system of counting should be such that the counting officer can not be able to do this. In India, this is not possible as counting agents of all the candidates are present in the counting centre and counting of votes takes places in their presence. (b) To issue such a pamphlet is definitely an election malpractice. The circulation of such a pamphlet should be checked immediately. The source of the pamphlet a person, candidate or political party should be found out and punished, as it violates the principle of democratic elections. (c) Since each state in the USA has it own method of voting, its own procedure of counting and its own authority for conducting elections, the decisions taken by the state of Florida must be according to the election laws passed by that state. No one could challenge those decisions as those must have been taken in accordance with the laws made by that state. In India, since states are not authorised to make their own laws for election, such a situation can not arise.