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Sunday, Jun 03, 2007
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"Presidential candidates no matter of speculation"

K.V. Prasad

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee laments such tendency of the media

Somnath Chatterjee

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee laments the media tendency to speculate on presidential candidates, especially with reports carrying opinion polls awarding percentage points.

"It should not be [a] matter of media speculation. It is not good that a list of persons is given with one showing 35 per cent and another 0.2 per cent. It may be that the person with 0.2 per cent becomes the President," Mr. Chatterjee said on Friday.

"It is a political post" and the President "is a symbol of the nation and a friend, philosopher and guide of the Government." Mr. Chatterjee told The Hindu in an interaction ahead of his completion of three years in office on Monday.

Reflecting on his well-known stand on the powers of the legislature, the judiciary and the executive, Mr. Chatterjee felt that the judiciary was taking a risk through the concept of "judicial executive order" as such acts were outside the scope of legislative scrutiny.

It would be against the parliamentary system of democracy if non-elected persons assumed a role that was not under scrutiny and they had no accountability to the people. "I [Speaker] can expect the Prime Minister to explain [through the House of the People] but cannot question a judge. The basic fundamental position of executive accountability to the legislature is greatly scuttled by [a] non-elected person." In case the Supreme Court passed such orders, there could be no appeal.

Asked why public opinion seemed to favour such judicial action, Mr. Chatterjee felt that it was on account of both the behaviour of elected representatives in the House and the strengthening of the notion by the media. He sought to know how the law providing reservation for the Other Backward Classes in higher education institutions, passed unanimously, was "vote-bank politics," which the apex court stayed through an interim order.

He said one court had observed that nothing good was done by Parliament in 30 years, and such remarks were not even challenged.

Mr. Chatterjee said the people gave their verdict every five years and had ejected governments. Till date no one suggested any alternative to parliamentary democracy. "It is not easy to govern a country like India to the satisfaction of everyone."

Clear role

The legislature had a clear role. Just as it did not want its rights given away, it could not encroach on the rights of the judiciary. For instance, he said, considering that there were several cases pending in courts, Parliament could not adopt a resolution to appoint judges to dispose them of, as it had no power. Under what law could the judiciary don the mantle of administration on account of "Executive failure?" This would create an imbalance, he said.

Defiance of Chair

Turning to the functioning of Parliament, Mr. Chatterjee said deliberate defiance of the Chair was becoming a habit. He was being called a "headmaster" for trying to enforce discipline. It gave him no job satisfaction to come to the House at 11 a.m. and disperse it at 11.02 a.m. Such disruptions made him think that the people were getting disenchanted with politicians.

After a string of instances including MPs' involvement in a cash-for-query scam and human trafficking, Mr. Chatterjee felt that members were resenting such conduct and taking action themselves. "People realise that these issues are not being brushed under the carpet but action was being taken."

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