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Elections
form the backbone of democracy, but democracy does
not finish when elections are over. The entire process
becomes more important when it pertains to Panchayats,
the institutions of local self- governance. Local
government have always been considered as reflection
of local aspirations and needs playing an important
role in planning and welfare of community. The voters’
awareness campaign is not a campaign in itself. It
forms a backbone to the intervention, which have to
take place in the process of strengthening the local
self governance in rural areas. It is a part of an
intervention and has various challenges in it – |
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Election till date
is seen in political terms, it is feared that the
interventions in such a process would put a label
of association with any political party on the CSO. Maintaining neutrality in the whole process becomes the foremost concern. Besides this, the limited time period is another concern. Making a common person aware of the importance of these elections so that she/he makes an informed decision posed another challenge. SSK has taken up two rounds of Voter Awareness campaign i.e. in year 2000 and year 2005 local body elections. The experiences from campaign were overwhelming and enriching. |
Elections for PRIs in Uttar Pradesh for fourth tenure since 73rd Amendment Act are scheduled to be held in the year 2010.
To have Free, fair, peaceful and participatory election processes as well ensuring responsive leadership in Panchayats, there is immense need that Civil Society Organization (CSOs) across state should intervene proactively to create favorable environment and consciousness at state level in form of civic education campaign.
The voter education campaign is essentially apolitical in nature and seeks to:
• Create an enabling
and conductive environment for a free, fair and smooth
election process. • Encourage voters to make the best use of their “rights of franchise” • To enable voters to cast their ballots properly • To enhance voter information on all aspects of election, enabling voting with appropriable discernment. • To encourage participation of women and members of SC/ST communities, both as voters and as candidates. • To facilitate free and fair elections. • To generate awareness on responsible electoral behavior, thereby checking participation of dummy candidates. |
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Campaign Strategy for Panchayat Elections 2010
The entire campaign will be innovative
in a sense as it reinforces democratic right of women and
dalits to cast vote and fight elections. The campaign will
also aim at addressing human rights issues particularly-
• Right to vote- most of the time women
and dalits are denied to caste vote and sometimes their
names are missing from voter list.
• Right to contest elections- particularly
women and dalits are denied to contest elections by misguiding
them that seat is reversed for men or for general category.
• Right to make choice – Women and those
coming from weaker sections are restrained from making choice
to vote, they are forced to caste votes under pressure or
dominance.
• Right to identify- Many times women and
dalits are made to contest elections as dummy candidates.
Their identity is used by some forceful and dominant person
to contest elections.
Campaign objectives are as follows
• To create an enabling environment for
free and fair election
• To encourage voters to make the best use of their rights
to franchise.
• To increase participation of women and those coming from
weak and marginalized in particular.
• To generate awareness on responsible electoral behaviour,
thereby checking participation of dummy candidates.
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