Politics- Political and Electoral Reform

October 12, 2019

Politics – Political and Electoral Reform 

Padmini Arhant

Those who sell their SOUL would have no problem selling anything whether it be nation they lead rather mislead into economic ditch or destiny of the population electing them as the head of the state and representatives of every constituency.

Politics is nothing more than theatrics and accordingly the strong relation between entertainment world and politics instrumental in distracting public from reality evading transparency and accountability using scapegoat on their indefensible economic debacles.

Today’s regimes in control of affairs need to acknowledge own follies, shortcomings and acutely deficient skills to deal with challenges created by them.

There is one thing about hogging undeserving glory through event management at ordinary lives expense. There is yet entirely another dimension demanding glory hogging and publicity starved personalities to live up to the grandiose image marketing miserably falling short in credibility and integrity.

Election anywhere is meaningful and purposeful unless the electoral process meet the following criteria.

1. Eliminate electronic voting machine or EVM and substitute with manual voting accompanied by verifiable voter paper audit trail VVPAT providing every voter casting vote receipt with confirmation of candidate, political party and any legislation propositions they voted through ballots for individual and national tally on election result day.

EVM is irrefutably proved to be managed with preconfigured software designed to generate election results in major political parties favor.

2. Eradicate black money, slush funds, electoral bonds and campaign financing from personal money laundering and corporations buying candidates and political parties forming corporate run government.

Instead, every voter must demand public financing with a cap in election spending barring negative smear nonsensical campaign advertisements premised on divisive, polarization politics.

Every citizen granting approval through vote insist candidates regardless of political positions from local legislators to the highest as Prime Minister or President only address issues that matter to citizens such as economy, crime in society in national security and measures to improve infrastructure.

3. Boycott rally of any candidacy indulging in delusional politics sowing the seeds of hatred, prejudice, communal and religion…making their way into Parliament or Congress deploying divide and conquer strategy.

4. Abandon celebrity worship and reject political parties as well as candidates fielded on glamor and glitz while miserably lacking in substance and ingenuity.

5. Similarly every voter should remind political members of their constitutional duty and responsibility to fulfill their pledge to serve people of the entire nation not just the rich, famous and powerful in society.

Again  political figures on public funded payroll and benefits are citizens’ employees not rock stars or messiahs as the political trend transformed in the past decade against democratic norm.

6. Every candidate running for public office to submit complete profile and made public with cross verification. Anyone with criminal and corruption record or charges pending trial should be declined by voter seeking clean and honest representation of them in Parliament and Congress. Likewise, deter candidates and legislators proven on corporate and special interests bandwagon and those determined to deter development among underprivileged and disenfranchised demography. 

7. A candidate of any political party including independent candidacy should not be allowed to run in more than one constituency. In facilitating candidate to contest election in two or more constituencies denies others a fair chance enabling the wealthy and any organizations institutions backed candidate and members of political dynasties to retain political power despite their ineligibility evident in other regions of the country. 

8. All candidates and political parties formal and informal funding to be revealed to public prior to election and cross checked by public. The data missing in this context would be a strong indication of sources behind political parties and candidates sponsoring them entirely in their interests not for ordinary citizens or national progress.

9. Shun media and press false propaganda and hyperbolic publicity of candidates and political parties ignoring their legacy and track record to sway public opinion to their preferred candidate’s advantage.

10. Every citizen – the electorate in emerging economies and developing nations in particular should not welcome foreign entities and powerful external forces influence, direct and indirect involvement maintained as tradition thus far to install puppet regimes and proxies to exploit population and extract natural resources in those countries at will.

11. Don’t be misled and misguided by foreign powers pseudo recognition of political leaderships of your nation with coveted honors and awards nearing national election as a blatant intrusion nominating their proxies exclusively for economic and vested interests.

12. Last but not the least, don’t accept bribes in cash or kind from political parties, candidates and their affiliates in disguise luring you to vote for them and in return seize your basic fundamental rights to everything as citizens importantly the economic opportunity and freedom of speech to discuss and debate government failures, actions and inaction concerning people across the spectrum and nation at large.

Every voter need to compare and realize their economic, social and political situation and general environment around them to evaluate government and leaderships performance rather than any other distraction via foreign or domestic solicitation. 

Unless every voter is mindful of the power in their hands to approve or disapprove governance and leaderships beginning at City Council, Municipal, District, State and National level, the status quo would remain leaving the poor the poorest, the selective segments isolated and marginalized as well as average ordinary lives struggling for generations with no end in sight.

Act now and SAY NO to negative, corrupt and counterproductive politics.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

Author & Presenter PadminiArhant.com

Prakrithi.PadminiArhant.co

 

 

 

 

 

Written by Padmini Arhant · Filed Under Featured, Politics 

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