Thiruvananthapuram, July 09: Legal experts and politicians today called for a re-look at the electoral process to enhance representativeness of legislators and freeing the system from ominous influences like money power and criminalisation.
Speaking at a seminar on electoral reforms here, CPI national secretary D Raja said it was time for a review of the Representation of People Act and suitable amendments brought in the light of experience in the last six decades.
He wanted government to accept as a policy state funding of political parties so as to create a level-playing field for all parties.
He also wanted serious efforts made for comprehensive electoral reforms to fight “criminalisation of politics and politicisation of criminals” to clean up the system.
Legal expert N R Madhava Menon observed that in the Indian experience the first-past-the-post system had given the maximum inducement to splinter the electorate and fragment parties.
–Agencies