Anna Hazare to write to PM on electoral reforms

Ralegan Siddhi, Sep 10: Meeting for the first time here, Anna Hazare and his core group today (Sep 10) decided that he will write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on electoral reforms and performance audit of MPs, including the right to recall of elected representatives and right to reject.

Hazare, who is leading a campaign for a strong Lokpal bill to check corruption, will write to the Prime Minister seeking his views on these issues as also the land acquisition bill.

Top members of the core group, including Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Santosh Hegde, Kiran Bedi and Medha Patkar, attended the meeting held for the first time in the

village where Hazare has done a lot of work.

"On behalf of the movement, Anna Hazare will be writing to the Prime Minister seeking his views on the annual performance audit of MPs, right to reject, right to recall and land acquisition bill," Kejriwal told a press conference at the end of the proceedings on the first day of the two-day meeting.

Kejriwal said Hazare will seek Singh's views on performance audit of MPs and on that basis whether there is a need for right to reject or right to recall. He said for right to reject, there was no need for any change in law.

On the issue of right to reject and recall, he said, Team Anna members will meet Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi soon.

Kejriwal said Hazare will also ask the Prime Minister whether the proposed land acquisition bill should have provisions ensuring that the nod of gram sabhas should be taken before acquiring land for any development project.

On Aruna Roy's remarks that Team Anna was not willing for discussions, Kejriwal said that was not the case and they had several rounds of discussions with Roy and her team.

He claimed that Roy's team had not drafted any law but only has proposals. He said Team Anna and Roy differ on three issues -- on the inclusion of Prime Minister and lower bureaucracy and citizen's charter.

"We are open to talks. We invite Roy and her team for a public debate," he said.

Asked about senior BJP leader L K Advani's ''yatra'' against corruption, Kejriwal said what they want was "not an yatra but passing of Lokpal Bill".

"All political parties which are opposed to corruption, should come together to get the bill passed. They should ensure that their MPs vote in Standing Committee and Parliament for Jan Lokpal bill," he said.

PTI