New Delhi: A day after the Election
Commission disfavoured the idea of right to recall, Law
Minister Salman Khurshid on Monday said the government is working on
Team Anna's proposal for such a provision which could form
part of the all-party consultations on electoral reforms.
He said the demand for right to recall of elected
lawmakers was a difficult task, but the government was
"working on that".
"We have a very strong lobby that is questioning us on
the need to introduce the right to reject," he said speaking
on 'Bharat and India: Challenges and Ambitions' at the Asian
Forum for Global Governance here.
Khurshid said there are also "strong demands" for right
to recall inspired largely by some small segments in US and
Europe, particularly in municipal elections.
"Right to recall in a constituency that has more than 1.5
million voters. Get signatures from 100 thousand or 50
thousand, authenticate those signatures is not an easy job.
But we are working on that," he said.
The minister later elaborated that the Law Ministry has
prepared a note on the subject.
"We have given papers on it. I have discussed it with the
Election Commissioner as well. He has talked to the media and
he has expressed some of his reservations. But we will be
happy to put it to the all-party consultations that will take
place."
The all-party meeting could take place either this month
or in November depending on the availability of party leaders.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to address it.
PTI
First Published: Monday, October 17, 2011, 16:22