UDP moots MP, MLA schemes scrapping
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: UDP has demanded immediate scrapping of MP and MLA schemes saying “they violated the true spirit of the Constitution of India”.
Participating in the 7th regional consultation on electoral reforms, held in Guwahati on Sunday, UDP member John F Kharshiing made this demand.
The UDP made several suggestions in the meeting including extension of the provisions of the 10th scheduled to the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs).
He also stressed on the need to introduce ‘four’ year term instead of a ‘five’ year electoral term for Parliament, State Legislatures, Autonomous District Councils and Panchayati Raj organisations.
The UDP member also favoured use of paper ballots “as people have lost confidence in electronic voting machines”.
“A referendum in India on the use of EVMs could be conducted by the Election Commission so as to analyze the faith of the people on such paperless voting methods,” Kharshiing said.
Kharshiing also said since votes are openly bought and sold to the highest bidder, so there is question mark on the concept of ‘secret voting’.
“For the political parties conducting membership drives, it would be worth considering the ‘open voting’ concept for those already registered as members of political party,” the UDP member said.
He also suggested in making it compulsory for candidates to garner more than 75 % of the total registered votes before being declared a winner, while those candidates receiving less than 25% of the registered votes are to be disqualified from contesting the second run-off.
“This would address the present anomaly of ‘first past the post system’, wherein a number of candidates declared winners have received only 22%-28% of the total registered votes and in some case much lower,” Kharshiing said.
He said prior to elections the states’ affairs should be brought under the ambit of the EC and it would provide a fair platform to all political parties and candidates.
