The Central government has referred the letters of Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami [Images] seeking changes in the selection procedure in the appointment of CEC and other ECs as also a ten-year bar on them from entering politics after retirement to a Parliamentary Committee for its opinion.

However, there is no official word on the status of the controversial recommendation of the CEC for the removal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla [Images], though Law Minister H R Bhardwaj has rejected it and had indicated that Chawla will be the next CEC.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice is likely to consider these two issues at its next meeting scheduled for February 16, sources said.

Besides the two communications, another letter seeking introduction of a "totaliser" mechanism for votes polled through the Electronic Voting Machines has also been referred to the committee.

"We have received three letters from the Law Ministry. We will place them before the committee for its consideration at its next meeting on February 16, senior Congress MP E M Sudarsana Natchiappan, heading the committee, said.

Gopalaswami wrote to President Pratibha Patil [Images] last month suggesting setting up of a selection committee headed by the Prime Minister with Lok Sabha Speaker, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, Leader of the opposition in two Houses and Minister in charge of Law and Justice as its members to choose CEC and ECs.

"Such a broad-based committee in my considered view will greatly add to the perceived sense of impartiality, neutrality and credibility thereby further strengthening the faith of the public in the institutional framework of the Election Commission," Gopalaswami had said.

Observing that it did not appear appropriate to have retired CEC and ECs accepting offices under the government and "worse still, joining political parties," Gopalaswami said one way to articulate a strong sense of neutrality expected of them, "in my view, is to mandate against any post-retirement employment for the ECs".

The CEC has also sought a political consensus on introducing a "totaliser" mechanism for the votes polled through EVMs in order to avoid intimidation of voters.

The committee in its next meeting is also likely to consider two other Bills pertaining to amendment to the Representation of People Act banning exit polls and the salary and pension of judges of high courts and the Supreme Court.