The Question is... Can the EC Even Accept Funding From USAID?
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Dear Reader,
What does Donald Trump have to do with Indian elections?
Not a lot, but his recent remark about the US giving money to India to boost 'voter turnout' has left India's political parties unsettled — and prompted accusations of 'external interference.'
When I first read of his claims, I thought to myself, 'Why is everybody taking him so seriously?' He hasn't provided any proof to back his claims. Moreover, he is known for speaking his mind — regardless of whether his statements are grounded in fact or fiction.
He even changed this particular claim multiple times. While he initially implied that the money was not given to the Indian government, he later said it was given to 'my friend Prime Minister Modi'. He even changed the figure of the amount that was allegedly sanctioned from $21 million to $18 million.
Amid this ruckus, many questions remain unanswered. So, I decided to dig a little deeper. To be clear, President Trump has not clarified (yet) who in India actually received the USAID payout. Was it the Central government, an Opposition party, the Election Commission of India (ECI), or a private agency?
Despite all this, the ECI has found itself in the eye of the storm after allegations were raised by the BJP that the former received funding from USAID in 2012 following the signing of an MoU.
So, the question is... can the ECI even receive foreign funding?
When I asked former Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat, this is what he told me:
"All the money that the ECI spends on elections comes from the Indian Budget, that is the Consolidated Fund of India, and from no other source. There is absolutely no chance that any money has been received by the ECI from a foreign government or agency."
The ECI website, too, confirms that the electoral body can only be financed by state actors.
It's also worth asking then — what is the Indian government's stance on foreign funding?
There are no strict laws or provisions that prohibit the Indian government from receiving funds from foreign countries. At the end of the day, it all depends on the government in power.
"Every government reserves the right to accept or not accept aid. However, while government-to-government aid is acceptable, India does not accept aid from private agencies," a retired professor of economics told me.
What we know, as per the data released by the US' Foreign Assistance website that I looked up, USAID had pledged $500,000 to India in 2013 for electoral purposes. It ended up paying around $435,000 between 2013 and 2018. There is no record of any funds having been given after 2018 for electoral purposes.
For more details, read the story on The Quint's website.
USAID Row: Can Election Commission Even Accept Foreign Funding?
Through in-depth explainers such as this, I have been proactively trying to answer questions about how decisions taken by foreign governments impact India, and what fruits India's own foreign policy decisions bear. If you've a suggestion for me, do write to me at sakshat.chandok@thequint.com.
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Until next time,
SAKSHAT CHANDOK
Senior Correspondent
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