The Rediff Special/C Subramaniam

We should review the Constitution. Otherwise, we will continue to be in this mess

What is the solution now, perhaps the solution for the future? Today the person who in the opinion of the President or the governor is likely to have the majority in the legislature is called upon to form the cabinet under his leadership. This doesn't work sometimes.

For example, the BJP was called and it was defeated. In UP, they were not able to find a solution, for more than six months there was no government but governor's rule. So, the best thing would be to ask the legislature to elect a leader as soon as it is formed, which should be on the basis of a single transferable vote. That is how the President and vice-president are elected today.

Another thing is the vote of no-confidence. It brings about chaos. Therefore in Germany, for example, if you want to remove a prime minister, you should show another prime minister with a majority who can take over. Otherwise, you cannot disturb the government simply because a few people want to create a problem because they were not made ministers or have some other grievance.

We should also see whether any such system can be incorporated in our Constitution. You just cannot say 'no confidence' and leave others to indulge in horse trading. If a person is to be removed from the prime ministership or chief ministership, they have to show an alternative. If you look into the democracies of the world, there are many systems, many safeguards. We can adopt what we consider best for the country, taking into account the vastness and diversity of the country.

In my view, the time has come to have a high-level Constitution Review Commission. Even today, instead of finding out who would have the majority, the President can issue a message to Parliament, for he has the power to do so. He can issue a message to the Speaker to have a person elected by a single transferable vote with a majority support. He can then take into account various considerations and get the support of various parties and form a central government. This is one way of dealing with it.

According to the present thinking, taking into account the judicial pronouncements, you cannot alter the basic structure of the Constitution. Perhaps a new Constituent Assembly may be necessary to make changes in the Constitution.

Support from outside always creates problems. This is the third time the Congress has done it. It is just like back seat driving. You don't take the responsibility but you want to impose upon the government your own views from the outside. I think this idea of supporting from outside should be given up. If you follow the other method of electing a leader through an election process, this will not arise at all.

Those who have participated in the freedom struggle are all of my age, in their eighties. A new generation has come into the Congress. It is not the old Congress which consisted mainly of people who made sacrifices. They also call themselves Congressmen, but they can carry the old prestige only for some time. You got exposed very soon. Today instead of making sacrifices and going to prison, you see people practising corruption and going to jail.

One is entitled to withdraw support, I agree. But the timing also is very important. At a very, very critical time, the Budget was still being discussed and they were also participating. NAM was about to be assembled, they were carrying on a dialogue with Pakistan. When all these critical things are going on, it is the most irresponsible act on anybody's part to withdraw support, particularly the leader of a party called the Indian National Congress.

My view is that his (Kesri's) personal interest has completely dominated his thinking: that he might become the prime minister. The other allegation was that many Congressmen are being investigated now by the CBI. Perhaps they want to get a prime minister who will not pursue these investigations. But unfortunately for them, it is not merely the prime minister but also the judiciary which has taken it into their own hands.

But if you have really committed some mistakes, you can't get away with it. I am sure, whether it is Deve Gowda or somebody else, the judiciary will see that these people are not let off simply because the prime minister has changed.

This is the time the younger generation, people with a clean record, should come into the picture. For example, Rajesh Pilot is there. I don't know, there have been some allegation against Madhavrao Scindia, but he is also a very dynamic leader. Manmohan Singh is there. He was not a politician, but now he has joined politics. He is an able administrator with full knowledge of the functioning of the economy. Till recently G K Moopanar was in the Congress. P Chidambaram was in the Congress. So, there is a good number of people. Once you insist that character is important, and that is the basis on which the top post is filled I think you will find many people coming up.

Of course democracy means rule by amateurs, not professionals. But it should not become amateurish. They should have some training, some background. Now what happens is that a raw person takes over and doesn't know what to do. Many of the ministers do not even know how to see a file. They do not know the fundamentals of what they are dealing with.

Those who want to get appointed as ministers should go through an orientation course with some experts talking to them for a few weeks so that they can have a fundamental knowledge of what they are going to do. If training is necessary for an IAS officer, is it not necessary for a bigger responsibility of leading the nation? It can't be a blind man leading the blind.

While I approve of the policy of liberalising the economy, I feel they have neglected the agricultural and rural sector. Just like a programme for globalisation, there should be a corresponding programme in the agricultural rural sector. Some of us even provided a plan of action called Prosperity 2000 to P V Narasimha Rao at the time but unfortunately that was not put through.

Chidambaram had to satisfy thirteen parties! I think he has done a very good job. It all depends upon on how all the programmes and projects are implemented. It isn't just that expenditure has to be incurred, we should also see what has been the result of that expenditure.

We should have a monitoring system to see whether millions of rupees are properly used. If there is a distortion, it should immediately be corrected -- not after the auditor general goes into it. Two years later the report comes out and nobody knows who is responsible. So, it should be done concurrently. As a matter of fact, when I was the finance minister of Madras state, I organised this system.

It is quite possible that the Congress also might enter the coalition. According to me, that is the best thing to happen so that we will have some time now till the next election. During this time we should review the working of the Constitution and bring about amendments, etc. We should take this period for reviewing the Constitution. Otherwise, we will continue to be in this mess.

What else can one feel about the present situation but sadness?

Former Union finance minister C Subramaniam spoke to Shobha Warrier.

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