NEW DELHI: Even as only two political parties — BJP and SAD — backed EC’s proposal to amend the model code of conduct (MCC) that requires all parties to disclose financial viability of their poll promises in a standardised format, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Thursday again justified the initiative, saying its sole purpose was to empower voters in assessing the promises and making an informed choice.
Pointing to a large number of democracies across the world facing serious macro-economic constraints and crises on account of populism, Kumar said the EC’s basic principle behind mooting a standardised format for disclosures by political parties on source of funding of their promises was to balance the democratic right of the parties to make poll promises with their responsibility to offer the voter transparency on economic aspect of those promises.
Pointing to a large number of democracies across the world facing serious macro-economic constraints and crises on account of populism, Kumar said the EC’s basic principle behind mooting a standardised format for disclosures by political parties on source of funding of their promises was to balance the democratic right of the parties to make poll promises with their responsibility to offer the voter transparency on economic aspect of those promises.