Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lawmaker Raghav Chadha on Wednesday suggested introducing the right of recall to allow voters to remove ineffective elected representatives without waiting for their five-year term to expire.
AAP MLA Raghav Chadha is speaking in Parliament. (PTI)Speaking in the Rajya Sabha at zero hour, Chadha said that just as Indian voters have the right to vote, they should also have the right to withdraw. “The right of recall is a mechanism that empowers voters to dis-elect an elected representative before the end of their term, if they fail to fulfill their duties…” he said.
He also said there is no interim mechanism to ensure accountability if elected representatives fail to perform their duties. Chadha stressed that the provision was “not a weapon against politicians”, but “an insurance for democracy”.
“If we can impeach the president, vice president and judges and move a no-confidence motion against an elected government in the interim, why should voters be forced to put up with an ineffective MP or MLA for a full five years,” he said.
He said it is common in India that leaders woo the people before elections and after the elections, “the people are behind the leader”, implying that their concerns are not addressed.
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Chadha said that a five-year term is too long for an electorate with a non-performing representative. He also said there are many examples of democracies around the world where voters have the right to recall.
“There are more than 24 democracies, including the United States, Canada and Switzerland, where voting rights are available,” he said. He said California Gov. Gray Davis was ousted in 2003 after 1.3 million voters signed a petition to remove him.
Chadha noted that provisions exist in village panchayats in states like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. To prevent abuse of the provision, he suggested introducing a minimum performance period of 18 months before any recall attempt, identifying specific grounds for removal and a higher threshold, such as at least 50% voter approval in a recall vote.
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Speaking outside Parliament, he said, “India is now a mature democracy, and this issue was debated in the Constituent Assembly as well…”
The Constituent Assembly discussed the provision but rejected it due to practical difficulties in implementing it. Both Bhimrao Ambedkar, who headed the Constitution Drafting Committee, and then Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel opposed the provision.
