Quraishi rules out online voting, state funding in near future

New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi on Tuesday said he doesn't see online voting becoming a reality in near future while state funding of elections in the country will first require certain key reforms in the electoral process.

"Voting online, technologically is child's play for us. We are an IT superpower. Let's accept that. But we do not see that happening in the near future," Quraishi said at a session on "Governance: The Key to a Developed India" in New Delhi.

On state funding of elections, the CEC said it can be considered only after bringing in financial transparency and internal democracy in political parties.

On state funding of elections, the CEC said it can be considered only after bringing in financial transparency and internal democracy in political parties.

"Your safety and your integrity is our concern. Someone points a gun at you and asks you to vote for you. We hope that your laptop cannot protect you from that. Secondly, we don't even trust you. Somebody comes and gives you Rs 5,000 and asks you to vote for him. Till we are able to control that, that (online voting) cannot happen," he said.

On state funding, he said "it should be considered only when there is total internal democracy within political parties and they have financial transparency".

Quraishi stressed that the key to good governance was through people's participation. "The key to good governance for five years is through voter participation", he said, adding that "if you come out and vote for good candidates, it will help provide good governance".

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