Disqualify MPs charged with grave offences: Moily committee

New Delhi, Feb 12 (UNI) The Veerappa Moily commission on administrative reforms today recommended disqualification of MPs and MLAs charged by the judiciary with grave crimes and the constitution of Lok Pal to deal with complaints of corruption against Ministers, except the Prime Minister.

The commission, in its fourth report submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is also for disqualification of MPs and MLAs of coalition partners that go against the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) and a comprehensive law keeping out all offices ''in purely advisory bodies'' out of the office of profit (OoP) provisions.

In other recommendations, the commission suggested tightening of the Anti-Defection Law, favoured partial state funding of elections and defined corruption as wilful violation of oath of office, abuse of authority, obstruction of justice and squandering of public money.

''In cases of persons facing grave criminal charges framed by a trial court after a preliminary enquiry, disallowing them to represent the people in legislatures until they are cleared of charges seems to be a fair and prudent course,'' the commission said in its 263-page report.

Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 should be amended to disqualify all persons facing charges related to grave and heinous offences and corruption, with the modification suggested by the Election Commission, it said.

Pointing out that there were candidates who were facing grave charges like murder, abduction, rape and dacoity, unrelated to political agitations, the commission said that in such cases, there was need for a fair reconciliation between the candidate's right to contest and the community's right to good representation.

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