Ex- CEC suggests election reforms essential in India
Former CEC Qureshi said that the model of funding of elections in India should be changed to public funding of political parties
Hyderabad: S.Y. Qureshi, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, said that Indian democracy is more in the limelight now, after the Presidential elections in the United States last year. “The whole world is looking at India for its democratic values now,” he said.
Comparing the two democracies, Qureshi said, “The transition of power from the outgoing Prime Minister to the incoming Prime Minister in our country has always been smooth. We never see any problems on that front. Both the outgoing and incoming governments have courtesies for each other and shake hands. The losers of elections in our country trust the Election Commission and its electoral processes, unlike Donald Trump in the USA who has set a very bad precedent.”
He was speaking at a webinar organised by the S. Jaipal Reddy Memorial Foundation on Saturday, to mark the 79th birth anniversary of former Union minister S. Jaipal Reddy.
Qureshi said that the model of funding of elections in India should be changed to public funding of political parties.
He strongly ruled out compulsory voting as is prevalent in many countries. “It doesn't work. It fails wherever it is introduced. It has failed to increase the poll percentage. Compulsory and democracy do not go hand in hand, he said.
The webinar was attended among many political leaders, followers of Jaipal Reddy, his wife Lakshmi, family members and relatives.