LI Network
Published on: 11 December 2022 at 14:43 IST
Yesterday on Congress member of Parliament (MP) Manish Tewari introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha seeking to equip the Election Commission of India (ECI) with the ability to regulate, monitor and superintend the internal functioning of all registered political parties in the country.
Congress MP Manish Tewari said, “There remains a very serious infirmity in the functioning of India’s democratic model, and that is the functioning of political parties that underpin our democratic edifice. The internal functioning and structures of an overwhelming number of these political parties are very opaque and ossified. There is a need to make their functioning transparent, accountable and rule-based,”.
Tewari Termed the Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2022, the bill as “the second wave of Democratic Reforms that India requires”. Failing to adhere to the directions with regard to the internal functioning of political parties, the bill would empower ECI to withdraw recognition as national or state parties and to take such appropriate action under Section 16-A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment Order) 1968.
Congress MP Manish Tewari introduced the Bill to amend the Constitution in the backdrop of his comments on the war of words in the Lok Sabha over the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court.
Tewari Calling for “peaceful relations” between the Executive and the Judiciary, gave an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha to discuss matters related to statements made over the judicial appointment issues.
Congress MP Seeking further reforms in the Election Commission, appealed for a fixed term of six years for the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners and a fixed term of three years for the Regional Commissioners following their appointments. Following their retirement, the bill seeks to consider these members of the Election Commission to not be eligible for any reappointment to any governmental or judicial office.