Coalitions in India have come to stay: Somnath

New Delhi, June 30 (UNI) Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today said the experiments with coalition governments at the Centre have been fairly successful, and ''coalitions in India have come to stay''.

''It is a learning experience for us. For over a decade we have been experimenting with coalitions at the Centre, and the results have been fairly successful,'' Mr Chatterjee said during his interactions with German leaders in Berlin.

He said democracy in India was time tested and no doubts should be raised about its efficacy.

''The people of our country have changed the government at the Centre, through peaceful means, 6 out of 14 times they went to vote.

In a vast country like ours, where elections are held at regular intervals, people's enthusiasm for democracy is being reflected through an increase in vote percentage with every passing election,'' said Mr Chatterjee who is leading a parliamentary delegation to Germany.

He pointed out democracy, pluralism, secularism and federalism as common elements between India and Germany.

''This commonality makes us best partners in our endeavour to make the world a better place to live in,'' he told a delegation of Legislators of the State Parliament of Berlin.

Mr Chattejee, along with the other delegation members, was taken to the Chamber of Parliament and explained the modern technology used for conducting the proceedings of the House.

He also signed the Distingusihed Guests Book of Berlin State Parliament.

Later talking to the members of the Germany-India Parliamentary Friendship Group, he said: ''India's greatest asset is the vast pool of young talent. This diverse talent will definitely help us strengthen the partnership between the two countries.'' UNI YJ PK RS2009