Political Parties.............Part III

Q11. What are the steps taken by the government to reform political parties?

1. The Constitution has been amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing parties. 
2. This was done because many elected representatives were indulging in DEFECTION in order to become ministers or for cash rewards.
3. Now the law says that if any MLA or MP changes parties, he or she will lose the seat in the legislature. This new law has helped bring defection down. 
4. The Supreme Court passed an order to reduce the influence of money and criminals and  it is mandatory for every candidate who contests elections to file an AFFIDAVIT giving details of his property and criminal cases pending against him.
5. The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organisational elections and file their income tax returns.
6. A law should be made to regulate the internal affairs of political parties. It should be made compulsory for political parties to maintain a register of its members, to follow its own constitution,
   to have an independent authority, to act as a judge in case of party disputes, to hold open elections to the highest posts.
7. It should be made mandatory for political parties to give a minimum number of tickets, about one-third, to women candidates.
8. There should be a quota for women in the decision making bodies of the party. 
9. There should be state funding of elections. 
10. The government should give parties money to support their election expenses. 
11. The support could be given in kind: petrol, paper, telephone etc. Or it could be given in cash on the basis of the votes secured by the party in the last election.

Q12. What is defection?

1. Changing party allegiance from the party on which a person got elected (to a legislative body) to a different party.

Q13. What is an Affidavit?

1. A signed document submitted to an officer, where a person makes a sworn statement regarding her personal information.