Check Election Costs

With the elections to the House of Representatives (HoR) approaching, the tempo has reached fever pitch. Elections bring political action to a high point, mobilising the voters and candidates alike. As the candidates go on the hustings, voters gain an opportunity to interact directly with their future leaders. This kind of engagement is propitious for building political culture and consolidating the constitutional and democratic foundation of the nation. Nonetheless, elections also give significant momentum to both the national and local economy.  The sudden spurt in economic activity has its pros and cons; unless the flow of money into the poll campaigns distorts electoral outcomes, financial mobilisation generally has positive implications for society. 

A wide range of commercial entities witness brisk business.  Hotels, restaurants, food producers and their distributors, printers and designers, transportation services, fruit and vegetable producers and tailors are in full swing. Tea shops and eateries are abuzz with political talk, particularly about the candidates and their speeches. As political leaders and their cadres visit the villages, they also enliven the local market. Moreover, candidates spend on posters, pamphlets, banners, and flags, generating employment opportunities in printing presses, paper supply, ink production and design services. The transportation sector is also busy, as candidates and supporters move frequently from one place to another.

According to a news report from this daily, around Rs. 150 billion will be mobilised during the poll campaign. The government will inject Rs. 33 billion, while 3,406 candidates are expected to spend Rs. 15 billion, in addition to expenditures by political parties and supporters. Poll spending generates an impact worth Rs. 300 to Rs. 400 billion, which flows from consumers to producers, raw materials suppliers and importers. It will contribute Rs. 5 billion to the state's revenue. However, there is no reason to be overly optimistic, as a large amount of money goes out of the country through the import of petroleum products, fruits, meat, food, flex materials and clothes. 

The Election Commission (EC) has set a ceiling on the candidates’ expenditures, but this measure hardly curbs their spending during elections. A study shows that in the 2017 elections, over 57 per cent of candidates spent more than the limit prescribed by the EC, while 90 per cent of them reported significantly lower figures in the expenditure statements they submitted. Due to limited human and financial resources, the election body is unable to effectively monitor the spending of candidates and parties. Some experts also suggest appointing a third party to track costs during the polls.

Obviously, elections have become a costly affair. Those unable to spend large sums of money cannot dare to step into the electoral fray. Political leaders of different parties have time and again admitted that elections are expensive, yet the same leaders do not voice support for mechanisms to control unnecessary expenditures aimed at influencing voters in areas affected by poverty, illiteracy and discrimination. What is more worrisome is the inflow of black money. Those with vested interests attempt to donate slush funds to candidates who are likely to clinch victory. There is a need for greater civic awareness to discourage the use of money and muscle power so that polls can truly reflect democratic values.