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Venkatraman calls for change in LS rules

Former president Ramaswamy Venkatraman has suggested that a no-confidence motion must contain the name of the person who will succeed the incumbent prime minister.

The rules of procedure of the Lok Sabha should be amended to incorporate this provision, he said in a lecture at the national conference and annual session of the Confederation of Indian Industries in New Delhi.

He pointed out that a similar system is in place in Germany. So, if a motion for removing a chancellor is carried, his successor is automatically chosen.

He said that in a multi-party system like the one in India, parties may agree to defeat the government in office, but may not be able to agree on the successor, as happened recently.

He said the number of political parties in the country should be reduced to two if the Constitution is to function successfully. This can be achieved by first de-recognising those parties that secure less than 10 per cent of the votes polled in the next general election and thereafter the party that secures the least number of votes in following general elections till the number comes down to two.

Another way of curbing the mushroom growth of parties is through electoral reforms, he suggested. The prevailing system of first past the post should be abandoned in favour of the system in France, where if a candidate does not get more than half the votes cast, a run-off is arranged between the top two candidates.

The former president also suggested substitution of party governments with national governments in which the prime minister is elected by the entire Lok Sabha by a single transferable vote. If no candidate secures more than 50 per cent of the votes cast, there will be another run-off between the two top candidates.

Under this scheme, he said, the term of office of the prime minister would be for a fixed period of five years, co-terminus with the life of the Lok Sabha. The prime minister and his council of ministers shall not be removable by a vote of confidence or on the defeat of any measure in Parliament. And the Lok Sabha shall not be liable for dissolution before the completion of its five-year term.

UNI

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