more-inThe Election Commission on Monday said it goes by the Central Information Commission’s June 2013 order that “national” parties would be deemed public authorities for purposes of the RTI Act. The EC statement came in response to a PTI report that the Commission’s appellate authority under the RTI Act — while deciding on an query pertaining to electoral bonds — said political parties were out of the Act’s purview. The Commission said in pursuant to the CIC directive, all information about contributions received by national parties, as well as their annual audited accounts, as and when submitted to the ECI, is in the public domain. “As regards consultation with leaders of different political parties before presenting electoral bonds is concerned, this issue has been transferred to the Ministry of Finance as it might concern them, and not the Election Commission of India,” said the statement.

Source: The Hindu May 28, 2018 08:29 UTC