For the last month, the issue of electing the President of the nation has been bagging front page
coverage in almost all national dalies.The presidential race was under discussion in the world of the internet too. A couple of weeks ahead of the declaration of the candidates by the UPA and the NDA (the third front did not exist then!), I was forwarded a message, asking me to log on to some web site and sign a petition in support for a second period for Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam. I did that without giving a thought (the incumbent being the 'people's president') and also forwarded the message to all my friends.
One of them replied telling that the ruckus that was being created, regarding the President's
election is totally unwarrented, since the President of India has only ceremonial powers. I felt the argument to be very true and wondered why I had not thought in those lines earlier.
It is through articles on the the President's role in India, I learnt about the real significance of the Presidential race.Firstly, in today's India, coalition governments rule the roost. Coalitions are inherently associated with instabilities, and under circumstances when no clear winners exist after elections in a state, it is through the discretionary powers of the President, the decision is made regarding who will rule the state. Secondly, it is true that bills which are sent to the President for his consent have to be mandatorily signed by him the second time. What is not understood is that when returned from the President's office, the first time, the political parties consider the suggestionsproposed by the President, and most of the time, changes in the bill are introduced to comply with the President's suggestions.
These two powers of the President imply that a diligent selection of the President is a necessity.
But the partisan struggle between the various political fronts that we have witnessed in the last
couple of weeks has made a mockery of the whole issue.
5 comments:
I don't believe that changes in a bill returned by the President are necessary...in fact I read somewhere that one of the recent bills that was returned was not even discussed in parliament again. Dr. Kalam had to sign a bill that he had rejected with no changes made and not even some show of discussion over changes. Nor does any government have to.
Which is why we should have a system where the President is allowed to question and sometimes even veto a bill, but not be given complete power over the Executive as in the US. Sorta like a mix between the Parliamentary and Presidential models.
...oh and perhaps we could also leave election of the President to the people of the country?
All that hooplah about "voting" for President Kalam on Internet polls or petitions mean absolutely nothing. Fact of the matter is, in the current system, it is the ruling party that gets to choose the President...a sad state of affairs.
Sonia Gandhi has the powers of a PM without the responsibility(Manmohan Singh). Now she wants whatever little power the President has as well without the responsibility (Pratibha Patil).
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