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Election Commission : CPI(M) calls for reforms

	September 04, 2006

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has called for an amendment of the Constitution on the modalities for appointment and removal of Election Commissioners and to make them more accountable. Party general secretary Prakash Karat said in New Delhi on August 30 that fresh legislation is needed to clarify what he called “grey areas” in a number of issues including the role of Observers and their selection and deployment of paramilitary forces when law and order is a state subject. A detailed note released by the CPI(M) containing the Left’s suggestions on Election Commission’s reforms also calls for barring the Election Commissioners from taking up any office under the Government, or as Governors or Members of Parliament.



The note suggests that Election Commission members may be appointed by the President on the advice of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, leader of the opposition, Chief Justice of India, or any one of his brother judges from the apex court. To prevent any possible conflict of interest, the note says that Election Commissioners must be legally debarred from enjoying any office after retirement.



The Congress, reacting to the CPI(M)’s views, said that it did not share the Left parties’ perception of the role and charter of the poll body. Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said since the Election Commission is a constitutional body, one should look at its autonomy extremely carefully. He made it clear that the Congress would not be a party to any move which could be even remotely seen as impairing the independent status of the Election Commission.



The BJP has said that the CPI(M) campaign for a re-look at the Election Commission’s functions is meant to brow-beat the autonomous body.





Third alternative to emerge : Prakash Karat



The CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat has said that a third alternative would emerge as a result of struggles in the field. Speaking at a rally in Tripura, he said the Left parties, while opposing the anti-people policies of the Congress-led UPA Government were projecting the alternative policies before the people. He said the Left is supporting the UPA Government on the basis of the common minimum programme only to keep the BJP-RSS communalist combine out of power. Karat alleged that the Congress, though ideologically not communal, seems to be compromising with the BJP and the RSS.



Criticising what he called knuckling down to the United States in respect of foreign policy, the CPI(M) leader said India had virtually abandoned the Iran gas pipeline project because it was not to the liking of the Bush administration. He alleged that by signing the Indo-US nuclear deal, India was set to surrender its right to independent atomic research.





Need for paradigm shift in economic policy



The CPI(M) has called for a paradigm shift in the Government’s economic policy to increase public investment to enhance job opportunities and purchasing power. In an editorial in the party organ, People’s Democracy, politburo member Sitaram Yechury said there is need for significantly higher doses of public investment to increase employment. He quoted a recent study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry to claim that there has been a decline in employment in the organized sector in recent years.





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PM attends CITU function : Attempt to woo Left



The Prime Minister inaugurated a Bidi Workers Colony, promoted by CPI(M) affiliated trade union, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) at Sholapur on September 1, in an apparent bid to woo the Left parties.



Dr. Manmohan Singh paid rich tributes to the CITU leadership and the organizational support given by the CPI(M) MLA Narsayya Adam to the project. The Prime Minister said the 10,000 housing units for women Bidi workers would not have come up in a record time without the Left union’s dedication. The houses were built with money out of the Beedi Workers Welfare Fund and financial help from the Maharashtra Government.



To answer the Left’s oft-repeated concerns, Dr Singh said the government would leave no stone unturned to implement the National Common Minimum Programme. The government knew that a lot required to be done for the poor workers, especially those engaged in the unorganized sector.



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Full convertibility opposed



In the wake of the Reserve Bank releasing the report of the S.S. Tarapore Committee spelling out the roadmap for full capital account convertibility of the Indian rupee, the Left parties have said that this would be against the spirit of the Common Minimum Programme. In a statement in New Delhi, CPI(M) Central Committee member, Nilotpal Basu said the move could damage the economy. The All India Forward Bloc said the move would help only the speculator who had already benefited because of the Government’s refusal to reintroduce long-term capital tax.



The Left parties have asked the Government to roll back the disinvestment of BALCO during the NDA rule. Leaders of the CPI(M), CPI and Forward Bloc said in New Delhi on September 1 that the Government should order a thorough inquiry into disinvestment deals including those of Modern Foods, Centaur Hotels, HPCL and VSNL. The Left demand comes after the Government decided to return Sterlites Rs. 1098 crore cheque for Government residual stake in BALCO.





Women’s Reservation Bill : PM hopeful of consensus



The Prime Minister has said that during the last two years, he has been working hard on evolving a consensus on reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislatures, and he is hopeful that it would be possible to introduce the Bill in the Winter session of Parliament. Speaking at the Golden Jubilee Function of Lady Sriram College in New Delhi on August 31, Dr. Manmohan Singh said that all those who had been opposed to reservation for women have been brought around. But he did not spell out the kind of consensus he was striving to build among the parties like the Samajwadi Party, the Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal which have opposed women’s quota on the ground that it must also provide a sub-quota for other backward classes and the minorities.



On the face of it, the agreement revolves around earmarking one-third seats for women. But there are indications that the percentage may be diluted to get everyone on board.



Women leaders like CPI(M)’s Brinda Karat, who called on the Prime Minister during the Monsoon session of Parliament, returned with the impression that he was hopeful of some kind of consensus on the issue. While those UPA allies, who have been resisting the move, are said to have agreed in principle to the legislation, the SP is still cold to the idea. And with UP Assembly elections coming up, SP’s Mulayam Singh Yadav is likely to up his ante for a sub-quota. His logic : If OBCs can get quota in educational institutions, why should women from these communities be denied reservation in legislatures. As the Bill involves a constitution amendment and the support of two-third members in the House, the Government may find it difficult to ram it through.



Since 1996, several proposals have been mooted, unsuccessfully, to get round the objections against the Bill. publicly by parties like the SP, JDU and the RJD and privately by most male MPs across party lines who fear losing their seats to women candidates.





Quota Bill for unaided institutions in Winter session



Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh has said that a Bill for reservation of 27 per cent seats for the other backward classes (OBCs) in private unaided higher educational institutions is likely to be introduced in Parliament during its winter session. Speaking in New Delhi on August 30, he said it was the Cabinet’s decision to bring a separate Bill for unaided institutions.



Meanwhile, the Oversight Committee set up to prepare a roadmap for the implementation of 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher central educational institutions will be submitting its report by Sept. 15.





Naxalite threat : Chief Ministers to meet on Sept. 5



With the Naxalites casting their shadow over almost a third of the country’s total area, the Centre has decided to pursue a multi-pronged approach to address the problem in a coordinated manner. Chief Ministers of insurgency affected states are to meet tomorrow, September 5, to discuss hinterland security and development. States would be asked to submit an evaluation of the efforts made to speed up development in the areas affected by Naxalite violence as also the steps to curb the armed movements. The Prime Minister will chair the meeting.



A day-long meeting between the Centre and the 13 Naxal affected states held in New Delhi on August 30 came to the conclusion that they are moving on the right track to curb the Naxal menace. Home Secretary V.K. Duggal who presided over the meeting of Chief Secretaries and Police chiefs, said that barring Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, violence had come down in the remaining Naxal affected states.



Meanwhile, in a major effort to help the state governments tackle Naxalite violence, the Army will train more than 14,000 personnel of central and state police organizations and ex-servicemen next year. The Army is also giving advice pertaining to toning up of oragnisational structure to tackle the problem in operational areas, counter terrorism and jungle warfare and effective deployment of security forces.



The Indian Air Force has offered aerial support to the state police forces like ferrying commandos by helicopters to operational areas and aerial reconnaissance by unmanned air vehicles.