Govt maintains it is open to changes in the draft law but nobody can dictate its content.
As the June 30 deadline for the finalisation of the report of the joint drafting committee on the Lokpal approaches, it emerges that the government draft is likely to ignore the suggestions of the civil society on key contentious issues like inclusion of the prime minister and the higher judiciary.
After the ninth meeting of the joint drafting committee, it was agreed by the two sides that they ‘agree to disagree’, but the government side had maintained a posture that it was still open to suggestions. But events subsequent to this meeting have clearly indicated a hardening of the stance vis-a-vis the civil society. Union telecom minister Kapil Sibal who emerged as the government’s key spokesperson in the debate made it amply clear that the civil society just had the right to be heard, but it could not dictate the content of the legislation.
The government side got a shot in the arm when the Congress Working Committee lent its full support and asserted that the civil society could not have its way or threaten to undertake fasts unto death.” We all know that ultimately the bill will have to be passed by the parliament, and even the government’s draft could undergo changes at the various stages of discussion in the parliament, but we want to stick to our position,” said a senior Union minister.
As agreed the final report of the joint drafting committee is expected to be discussed at an all party meeting convened by prime minister Manmohan Singh on July 3, and this would be the first time when the entire political spectrum would be expressing its views on these contentious issues.
But in the meanwhile, there are other voices like that of former chief justice JS Verma virtually coming to the aid of the government. On three issues the inclusion of prime minister, the higher judiciary, and the conduct of the MPs within the parliament, he has backed the viewpoint expressed by the ministers on the joint drafting committee.
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