JP says, return ordinance on convicted lawmakers

Hyderabad, Lok Satta Party today joined the growing voices against the controversial ordinance that protects convicted lawmakers from disqualification, and urged President Pranab Mukherjee to prevent its promulgation.

As the elder statesman of the country with unmatched experience and erudition, you are best qualified to protect our democratic institutions, dignity of Parliament and State Legislatures, and rule of law. As President of the Republic, defender of the Constitution, and conscience keeper of the nation, you have the moral stature and Constitutional authority to intervene and prevent promulgation of the proposed ordinance, Lok Satta chief Jayaprakash Narayan said in a letter to the President. The ordinance is blatantly unconstitutional, morally wrong and a cynical move that will weaken our democracy, the bureaucrat-turned-politician alleged. The ordinance overturns a July Supreme Court order disqualifying lawmakers immediately after conviction for a criminal offence in which the jail term exceeds two years. This ordinance is bound to be struck down by the Supreme Court. It is morally reprehensible and democratically indefensible, said Narayan, who is also an MLA. It is absurd to claim an incumbent legislator convicted of a serious a crime can continue to be a lawmaker. Such a brazen act of cynicism will further undermine peoples already eroding faith in Constitutionalism, rule of law and democratic institutions. The nation looks up to you to come to the defence of Constitution in this difficult hour. He urged the President to invoke his Constitutional powers and return the ordinance to the Council of Ministers for reconsideration.