Election spending of candidates
Friday, 26 December 2008
The elections to be held on Monday next were visualised to be not like the ones held in the past. Expectations were built by the incumbent caretaker government as well as from urging by conscious people and the intelligentsia, that this election would mark a break from the past in all respects. This would essentially involve the nomination of clean candidates, complete integrity of election officials and similar scrupulousness in taking preparations for the polls and, more significantly, keeping the election process free from undue influences, particularly the one created by uncontrolled use of money.
In this context, the report released by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) last Wednesday that poll spending started well before the permissible date for doing so and that 142 candidates in 40 constituencies had, in all, spent well over Taka 40 million by that time, is revealing of the fact that the election rules are getting frustrated at least in this vital area. The TIB report is but a partial picture of money spending in excess of the permitted ceiling on spending. Some sections of the media have been reporting lavish distribution of money by the candidates not much different from the past. Even the TIB report admits that its assessment of unauthorised election spending is but only a partial one because it is difficult to exactly ascertain how much money changed hands. Allegations of attempts to buy votes in some constituencies have also been made in sections of the media. Thus, carefree election spending is proving to be a serious concern.
Candidates are supposed to limit their spending to Taka 1.5 million each and this is a realistic one considering that the last such cap was only Taka 0.3 million. The amount allowed to be spent was increased five-fold considering polling costs and inflation. The candidates should have limited their spending to this amount. That they are overshooting without a care, represents not only a flouting of the basic principles centering on which the elections are being held, the same is also full of economic implications.
The election spending are mostly considered as non-productive and highly consumptive in nature. Even if a single candidate is seen contesting from the 300 constituencies, then the allowable spending by 300 such candidates come to Taka 4.5 billion. But four to six candidates on average are contesting from each constituency. So, the total amount of the authorised spending by all of these candidates would be a very large amount. With the added heavy doses of unauthorised spending, the total expenses on the election should be a head spinning figure.
The question is : how the spending of such a vast sum of money in such a short time in the non-productive sectors, can help the national economy. The answer is obvious. The spending can only fuel inflation from their non-productive nature when signs of inflation decreasing from other factors, were becoming evident. Moreover, all concerned would also like to ask whether all such spendings are disclosed or tax-paid amounts of the candidates. If the contestants in the election to the Jatiyo Sangshad (JS), the supreme representative body of the people that enacts laws for the country, are allowed to spend their 'undisclosed' money for getting elected to it, then why should the authorities do otherwise make a fuss about chasing the holders of tax-evaded income, fair or foul?
The election process is too far advanced to deal decisively with these flouting of election rules now. The Election Commission should be tenacious and follow up on allegations of overspending after the election with a view to restraining such things in the future. The TIB report says that elections overspending on the whole has decreased somewhat compared to past such occasions. But the same are, still, very high and future elections will absolutely need to be very controlled to prevent elections from degenerating into money contests.
In this context, the report released by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) last Wednesday that poll spending started well before the permissible date for doing so and that 142 candidates in 40 constituencies had, in all, spent well over Taka 40 million by that time, is revealing of the fact that the election rules are getting frustrated at least in this vital area. The TIB report is but a partial picture of money spending in excess of the permitted ceiling on spending. Some sections of the media have been reporting lavish distribution of money by the candidates not much different from the past. Even the TIB report admits that its assessment of unauthorised election spending is but only a partial one because it is difficult to exactly ascertain how much money changed hands. Allegations of attempts to buy votes in some constituencies have also been made in sections of the media. Thus, carefree election spending is proving to be a serious concern.
Candidates are supposed to limit their spending to Taka 1.5 million each and this is a realistic one considering that the last such cap was only Taka 0.3 million. The amount allowed to be spent was increased five-fold considering polling costs and inflation. The candidates should have limited their spending to this amount. That they are overshooting without a care, represents not only a flouting of the basic principles centering on which the elections are being held, the same is also full of economic implications.
The election spending are mostly considered as non-productive and highly consumptive in nature. Even if a single candidate is seen contesting from the 300 constituencies, then the allowable spending by 300 such candidates come to Taka 4.5 billion. But four to six candidates on average are contesting from each constituency. So, the total amount of the authorised spending by all of these candidates would be a very large amount. With the added heavy doses of unauthorised spending, the total expenses on the election should be a head spinning figure.
The question is : how the spending of such a vast sum of money in such a short time in the non-productive sectors, can help the national economy. The answer is obvious. The spending can only fuel inflation from their non-productive nature when signs of inflation decreasing from other factors, were becoming evident. Moreover, all concerned would also like to ask whether all such spendings are disclosed or tax-paid amounts of the candidates. If the contestants in the election to the Jatiyo Sangshad (JS), the supreme representative body of the people that enacts laws for the country, are allowed to spend their 'undisclosed' money for getting elected to it, then why should the authorities do otherwise make a fuss about chasing the holders of tax-evaded income, fair or foul?
The election process is too far advanced to deal decisively with these flouting of election rules now. The Election Commission should be tenacious and follow up on allegations of overspending after the election with a view to restraining such things in the future. The TIB report says that elections overspending on the whole has decreased somewhat compared to past such occasions. But the same are, still, very high and future elections will absolutely need to be very controlled to prevent elections from degenerating into money contests.