The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Lok Satta call to introduce proportional representation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 25, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Lok Satta call to introduce proportional representation

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MARCH 24. The Lok Satta national coordinator, Jayaprakash Narayan, has called for introduction of the proportional representation system to address the problem of criminalisation of politics and corruption.

Delivering a lecture on "Criminalisation of politics and corruption" organised by the ICFAI School of Public Policy, here, on Wednesday, he described the increasing entry of criminals into politics as "purely demand-driven".

Political parties emphasise on recruiting criminals so as to help them in their electoral and political management, he observed.

On the other hand, Dr. Narayan stated that people too felt it was not the Government, but criminals endowed with political power who deliver at the time of their need, frustrated with the State mechanism in meeting their needs.

Giving a cost-benefit analysis, he pointed out that this makes a good business sense to all, political parties, people and criminals. "This is probably the reason why we have more than thousand criminals in Parliament as well as the State legislatures".

He said a solution could be launching a fight to reform the system and institutions for bringing a transformation in society, along with emphasis on right to information which empowers people to elect the right candidate.

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