CPI and CPM iron out differences

Thiruvananthapuram: CPM and CPI, on Monday, reached an agreement on the LDF government’s controversial move to amend key provisions in the Lok Ayukta Act (1999). The new arrangement will exclude the governor from the scheme of things when it comes to the adverse remarks or judgement made by the Lok Ayukta against the chief minister.
The in-principle agreement reached between top leaders of both parties is that the legislative assembly will take a final call on the orders passed by Lok Ayukta against the chief minister; the assembly will decide whether it should be accepted or not. In the original ordinance this power was given to the governor.
In the case of cabinet ministers, the CM will be the judge and in the case of MLAs, CPI proposed that the decision on accepting or rejecting the Lok Ayukta’s orders should be given to the speaker.
It is learnt that the Lok Ayukta Amendment Bill will be presented in the assembly on Tuesday and referred to the subject committee for more discussions.
The amendments proposed by CPI will be raised and accepted by the subject committee and the bill would be then brought to the house for discussion after incorporating the changes proposed by CPI.
The changes proposed by CPI are likely to invite stiff resistance from governor AM Khan, who gave his assent to the ordinance in February after seeking clarifications from the government. The government was forced to convene an emergency assembly session when Khan refused to re-promulgate 14 ordinances, including Lok Ayukta Act amendment ordinance.
Opposition parties were resisting the government’s move to amend the Lok Ayukta Act, saying that it would reduce the agency to a powerless body. There were allegations that the government wanted to push the amendments since Lok Ayukta is about to pass its order on the complaint raised against the CM in a petition that accused him of misusing CMDRF.
The cabinet passed the Lok Ayukta Act amendment ordinance in February this year with the sole objective of removing Section 14 of the Act, which made the orders of Lok Ayukta binding on CM, ministers, MLAs and others who hold public office.
The government moved against Lok Ayukta after KT Jaleel had to resign from the cabinet after the Lok Ayukta order declared him unfit to continue as minister on charges of nepotism.
CPI ministers, who meekly supported the ordinance initially, spoke against the same later, following the political intervention of senior leaders.
CPI leaders shared CPM’s opinion that Lok Ayukta need not be given powers which are not even given to the high court. But, CPI leaders said they were only against certain provisions in the ordinance.