Chawla asks government to amend law, curb cec power

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Navin Chawla has asked the government to amend the Constitution to divest the CEC of the power to recommend removal of his colleagues.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Navin Chawla has asked the government to amend the Constitution to divest the CEC of the power to recommend removal of his colleagues.

HT Image

This is the second time the Election Commission has asked the Centre to amend the Constitution on this matter.
In 2004, a similar recommendation was made.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chawla cited two “unwarranted episodes”, including a demand by his predecessor for his removal.

The then CEC, N. Gopalaswami, had asked the Centre to remove Chawla because of his alleged bias towards the Congress.

T.N. Seshan has also filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the appointment of two election commissioners.

Chawla has written to the Centre urging for an early amendment to protect the Election Commissioners against arbitrary sacking.

"The commission strongly feels that so long as the provisions of Article 324 (5) stands as they are, recurrence of episodes of the nature described above cannot be ruled out in future, against bringing into serious disrepute and shaking the confidence of the millions of citizens in the integrity and neutrality of the Commission," Chawla, who will demit office in July, said.