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Lok
Satta's Election Watch has notched up several victories in its crusade
for electoral reforms:
Voter
registration: The Lok Satta has succeeded in making voter
registration simple, easy and transparent when the Election Commission
agreed to make the post office the nodal agency in voter registration.
Disclosure
of antecedents of electoral candidates: Following public
interest litigation by the Lok Satta and like-minded organizations,
the Supreme Court in 2003 mandated the disclosure of criminal and
financial antecedents of all candidates contesting for electoral
office.
Political
Funding Reform: As a result of Lok Satta's initiative, Parliament
enacted a reform law providing for full tax exemption to individuals
and corporates on all contributions to political parties, bringing
expenditure by third parties and political parties under candidates'
ceiling limits and mandatory disclosure of party finances and contributions
of over Rs.20,000.
Instruments
of Accountability: Following Lok Satta's nation-wide civil society
movement, Parliament adopted the Right to Information Act. Its efforts
have resulted in the implementation of Citizen's Charters across
all municipalities of Andhra Pradesh.
The
Lok Satta is largely responsible for a number of other reforms like
the strengthening of the anti-defection law and the limiting the
size of Cabinets and the launching of the rural health mission.
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