Communist Party of India (Marxist) - electoral reforms https://elections2014.cpim.org/tags/electoral-reforms en Electoral Reforms https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/electoral-reforms <div class="field field-name-field-social field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style " addthis:title="Electoral Reforms - Communist Party of India (Marxist)" addthis:url="https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/electoral-reforms"><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:size="standard"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://elections2014.cpim.org/sites/default/files/supreme%20court.jpg" width="300" height="200" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-date field-type-date field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-09-27T00:00:00+05:30">Friday, September 27, 2013</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><div align="right">&nbsp;</div><div>The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The CPI(M) has been advocating comprehensive electoral reforms but these important issues have not been placed by the Government before Parliament so far.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The Supreme Court judgment to include a “No Vote” on the ballot is only a minor aspect of the issue of reforms. These matters are being dealt with in a piecemeal way by the judiciary when what is required is comprehensive electoral reforms including the issue of proportional representation, urgent steps to curb money and muscle power, which must be discussed and adopted by Parliament.</div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/supreme-court" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Supreme Court</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/electoral-reforms" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">electoral reforms</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/no-vote" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">No Vote</a></div></div></div> Fri, 27 Sep 2013 08:54:33 +0000 murali 2581 at https://elections2014.cpim.org https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/electoral-reforms#comments Government Has to Respond https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/government-has-respond <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><!--break--><p> </p><div style="text-align:justify"><b>Article appearing in<i> People’s Democracy </i>dated August 28, 2011</b></div> <div style="text-align:justify"><b><i> </i></b></div> <div align="center" style="text-align:center"><b> </b></div> <div align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>For an Effective Lokpal: Government has to Respond</b></div> <div align="right" style="text-align:right"> </div> <div align="right" style="text-align:right"><b>Prakash Karat</b></div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">The hunger strike launched by Anna Hazare in Delhi has led to an outpouring of support from all over the country. The agitation for a Jan Lokpal Bill has found support predominantly from the urban middle classes and a substantial section of youth belonging to this strata. There is no doubt that since the first hunger strike launched by Anna Hazare in April, the anti-corruption movement has gained momentum.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">The attitude of the UPA government and its failure to tackle corruption has fuelled widespread anger. Firstly, the UPA government is seen as complicit in corruption. This has been the most corrupt government in the history of independent India. The paradox of a “clean Prime Minister” heading such a government has sunk into the consciousness of the urban middle classes. This is the very constituency which had been singing the praises of Manmohan Singh – a reformer who was clean and whose integrity was unquestioned. </div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">The manner in which the ministers in the government defended the corrupt practices indulged in, in the 2G spectrum allocation, stating that there was zero loss of revenue for the government confirmed the fears of many that this government steeped in corruption cannot take any meaningful action. In all the cases – whether it be the 2G or the Commonwealth Games – it has been agencies external to the government – the Supreme Court, or, the CAG which spurred the CBI into action to investigate and to prosecute the guilty.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">The problem has been compounded by the government introducing a Lokpal Bill which seeks to carry on with the earlier arrangement of the vigilance and investigation agencies. The Prime Minister is excluded from the purview of the Lokpal. The method of appointment of the Lokpal will not make it an independent authority. The Lokpal set-up by this Bill would be ineffective and unable to independently act against the higher echelons in the government, or, the big business-ruling politician-bureaucratic nexus. </div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">Secondly, the Congress party leadership has been put in the dock for the manner in which Anna Hazare and his colleagues were arrested on the morning of August 16 before they began the hunger strike. The symbolism of a corrupt government putting an anti-corruption crusader in Tihar Jail was not lost on the people. The brazen attack on the democratic rights of citizens to protest peacefully isolated the government among the people and inside Parliament. The ruling party decries the Hazare led movement as an attack on Parliament and democratic institutions. They claimed that since the government has introduced a Bill in Parliament, any agitation against it is an attack on Parliament. This is specious reasoning. Political parties and citizen’s organisations have the right to oppose and agitate against any Bill introduced in Parliament. The Left parties and trade unions have opposed many Bills which are anti-working class and organised protest actions and struggles against them. Strikes have taken place against proposed legislation which seeks to liberalise the financial sector – the insurance, banks etc.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">Even the Congress party opposed the Prevention of Terrorism (POTA) Bill which was introduced in Parliament in 2002 by the BJP-led government. Subsequently it continued to oppose it even after it was enacted as a law and demanded its withdrawal.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">Corruption has become a major issue and people are increasingly becoming conscious and determined to fight it. This is welcome. But there is need for a proper understanding of what is the cause for this rampant corruption which has affected all spheres of public life. The CPI(M) has set out its understanding of the present malaise of corruption, the causes and the effects. </div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">In the last two decades, with the advent of liberalization and the neo-liberal policies, high level corruption has become institutionalized. The neo-liberal regime has led to an exponential rise in corruption. Much of this corruption stems from the big business-ruling politician-bureaucratic nexus which has been established. We have seen how, in the seven years of the UPA government and the earlier six years of the NDA government, policy making has been suborned to serve the interests of big business; how privatization and the loot of natural resources are facilitated by this nexus in operation; how the UPA government panders to big business – Indian and foreign – by putting in place policies and mechanisms to facilitate the transfer of resources like land, minerals, natural gas etc to business barons. The neo-liberal regime has affected the political system with big capital holding sway. Increasingly, politics is being converted into a business and business is conducted through politics.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">The fight against high level corruption, therefore, requires a multi-pronged effort. There has to be an effective Lokpal authority; there has to be electoral reforms to curb money power for politics; there has to be a separate mechanism to curb corruption in the higher judiciary through a separate legislation; there has to be firm measures to unearth black money and crack down on the persons who have stashed away illegal money abroad in tax havens. Above all, the features of the neo-liberal regime, which encourage accumulation of capital through corrupt means and facilitate the loot of natural resources by big business, should be ended.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">The main source of support for the Hazare led movement is the urban middle class. Many of them were supporters of the liberalization policies and reforms ushered in by the Manmohan Singh government. Now plagued with corruption, they want a messiah to get rid of corruption which constantly affects their daily life. They would like corruption to end while maintaining the economic regime which has conferred benefits on them. Hence they are unable to see the organic link between the neo-liberal policies and the corruption that they have engendered.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">The middle class propensity to be anti-political, to blame all politicians and to hold Parliament in contempt are all on display in the Anna Hazare movement. The constant harping against all political parties and the setting of unilateral deadlines for Parliament to act have raised apprehensions about their intent and commitment to democratic values. This has only detracted from the rightness of the cause and the popular support it has evoked.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">There is legitimate anger against the plutocracy that has come to dominate the political system. But this plutocracy and the corrupt nexus cannot be fought by targeting political parties and concentrating fire only on the petty corruption that citizens face in their daily life. Given the amorphous nature of the movement gathered around Anna Hazare, the rightwing forces, including the corporate media, seek to support and direct the movement away from the focus on the fountainhead of corruption. There is a constant masking of the real causes of corruption in society. In a recent poll conducted by the Centre for the Study of Development Societies published in <i>The Hindu</i>, to a question `who is the most corrupt’, among those surveyed, 32 per cent said government employees were the most corrupt; 43 per cent said elected representatives were the most corrupt; and only three per cent thought businessmen and industrialists were the most corrupt.  This is the dominant opinion among the middle classes.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">In every major corruption scandal in the recent period, there was big business, or, corporates involved in the act of corrupting public servants – whether they are ministers, or, civil servants. In the 2G spectrum case, the Commonwealth Games, the KG gas basin contract and so on – in each of these cases the hidden hand of big business exists. The government Lokpal Bill does not address this issue at all. The Jan Lokpal Bill at least has clauses providing for cancellation of contracts with business enterprises that are found to be illegally obtained. But the thrust of the anti-corruption movement, by and large, misses this main factor. </div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">The CPI(M) and the Left will continue to campaign for a set of measures to combat corruption. Along with the Lokpal Bill, there has to be a judicial accountability legislation which will cover the setting up of both a National Judicial Commission for the appointment of judges and a body to enquire into charges of corruption. The Left parties will continue the fight against the privatization drive which seeks to handover public assets and resources to big business. </div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">At present, however, the fight against corruption can be taken forward only when a strong Lokpal authority is constituted. The government Lokpal Bill has been rejected by large sections of the people; it is not acceptable to the Left parties and most of the opposition parties. In such a situation, there is no other way for the government, but to bring a modified or fresh Bill which can pave the way for an effective Lokpal. For this, there is no other way except for the Manmohan Singh government to bow down to public pressure. The government should hold talks with the Anna Hazare group forthwith. It should bring a fresh Bill for discussion and adoption by Parliament.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/corruption" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Corruption</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/lok-pal" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Lok Pal</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/electoral-reforms" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">electoral reforms</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/judicial-reforms" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Judicial Reforms</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/prakash-karat" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Prakash Karat</a></div></div></div> Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:44:31 +0000 murali 71 at https://elections2014.cpim.org https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/government-has-respond#comments Protest Day on August 23: Nine Parties Call https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/protest-day-august-23-nine-parties-call <div class="field field-name-field-social field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style " addthis:title="Protest Day on August 23: Nine Parties Call - Communist Party of India (Marxist)" addthis:url="https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/protest-day-august-23-nine-parties-call"><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:size="standard"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-date field-type-date field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2011-08-19T00:00:00+05:30">Friday, August 19, 2011</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><!--break--> <div align="right" style="text-align:right"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify"><b>Press Statement</b></div> <div style="text-align:justify"><b> </b></div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">Leaders of nine political parties, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Telugu Desam Party, Communist Party of India, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Biju Janata Dal, Janata Dal (S), Rashtriya Lok Dal, All India Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party met in New Delhi on August 19 2011. They have issued the following statement:</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>Observe All India Protest Day on August 23</b></div> <div align="center" style="text-align:center"><b> </b></div> <div style="text-align:justify">The leaders of the nine political parties noted that the UPA government has not taken any serious steps to curb high level corruption. The Lokpal Bill introduced by the government in parliament is weak and inadequate. Such a legislation will not establish a strong Lokpal authority. The nine political parties demanded that an effective Lokpal law be prepared and adopted.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">Along with the Lokpal law, there are certain immediate measures to be taken to curb corruption. They include a new Judicial Accountability law which will also constitute a National Judicial Commission; electoral law reforms to curb money power and criminality in politics; firm steps to unearth black money and bring back the illegal money stashed abroad.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">The meeting condemned the arrest of Anna Hazare and his colleagues in order to prevent their hunger strike. This is an attack on the democratic rights of citizens to conduct peaceful protests. There are increasing restrictions on the right to assemble and the right to conduct protests in Delhi and all over the country. The nine political parties demanded lifting of curbs on the right to protest and protection of democratic rights.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">The meeting decided to call for an all India protest day to be observed on August 23 to demand effective measures against corruption including a strong Lokpal. The countrywide protest will also demand the protection of democratic rights and the right to conduct peaceful protests.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">On August 23, all over the country, the nine political parties will organize demonstrations and dharnas in all state capitals and district headquarters.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> <div style="text-align:justify">The meeting was attended by H.D. Deve Gowda, Chandrababu Naidu, Prakash Karat, A B Bardhan, Ajit Singh, Thambidurai, Debabrata Biswas, Bhartruhari Mahtab, Abani Roy, Sitaram Yechury, S. Sudhakar Reddy, D Raja, Nama Nageshwar Rao and others.</div> <div style="text-align:justify"> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/corruption" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Corruption</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/lokpal" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Lokpal</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/protest" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Protest</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/electoral-reforms" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">electoral reforms</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/judicial-commission" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Judicial Commission</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/judicial-accountability" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Judicial Accountability</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/black-money" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">black money</a></div></div></div> Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:24:50 +0000 murali 1401 at https://elections2014.cpim.org https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/protest-day-august-23-nine-parties-call#comments Movement against Corruption https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/movement-against-corruption <div class="field field-name-field-social field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style " addthis:title="Movement against Corruption - Communist Party of India (Marxist)" addthis:url="https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/movement-against-corruption"><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:size="standard"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-date field-type-date field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2011-06-20T00:00:00+05:30">Monday, June 20, 2011</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><!--break--> <p>The Left parties – the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, All India Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party – met in New Delhi on June 19, 2011. They have issued the following statement:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Movement against Corruption </strong></p> <p>The Left parties decided to conduct a countrywide movement against corruption and to demand immediate measures to curb corruption in all spheres of public life. The Left parties’ platform against corruption includes:</p> <p>i) Adoption of an effective Lokpal legislation</p> <p>ii) There should be a National Judicial Commission to curb corruption in the high judiciary</p> <p>iii) Stringent action against the rampant corruption fostered by the big business-politician-bureaucratic nexus which has led to scandal such as the 2G spectrum case.</p> <p>iv) Implementation of electoral reforms including introduction of proportional representation system to check money power in elections</p> <p>v) Steps to unearth black money and repatriation of the illegal money stashed abroad.</p> <p>In order to get these demands implemented, the Left parties will launch a movement from July 15-21, 2011 all over the country. In this week-long movement, the Left parties will picket Central Government offices, hold demonstrations, dharnas and rallies.</p> <p>The Left parties will hold a demonstration in Delhi outside Parliament on these demands after the Parliament session begins in July.</p> <p>Sd/-</p> <p>Prakash Karat (CPI(M)</p> <p>A. B. Bardhan (CPI)</p> <p>Debabrata Biswas (AIFB)</p> <p>Abani Roy (RSP)</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/corruption" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Corruption</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/left-parties" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Left parties</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/price-rise" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Price Rise</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/electoral-reforms" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">electoral reforms</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/black-money" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">black money</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/proportional-representation" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">proportional representation</a></div></div></div> Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:23:56 +0000 murali 1389 at https://elections2014.cpim.org https://elections2014.cpim.org/content/movement-against-corruption#comments