1. Disclosure of Income
and other details by Politicians before election
Public disclosure by candidates will
certainly help in encouraging transparency and probity; when data is made
public, it is possible for the candidate's competitors, the media and
other public interest groups to probe and challenge any information they
suspect. And, moreover, access to such information by the public is bound
to make political parties more careful in their choice of candidates.
It will also help the voter in
exercising a certain degree of political maturity in voicing their mandate
by paying more attention to the credibility of the candidates, their
leadership potential and priorities. The first effort taken in this
direction proves that promoting transparency in public life is certainly
feasible. We are highly enthused by the positive response showed by the
candidates themselves. Perhaps the time has come for the authorities
concerned to mandatory requirement that all candidates have to furnish a
basic set of information while registering nominations; the precise nature
of the information has to be worked out. Given the clamour for
transparency and openness, it is high time that the voters get to know
their candidates beyond the image provided by cutouts, handouts and
megaphones. |
