New Delhi. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha made headlines on Wednesday by discussing ‘Right to Recall’ in Parliament. He said that if elected leaders do not perform as per public expectations, voters should have the right to remove them before the completion of their tenure.
In his address during Zero Hour, Chadha said, “Just as voters have the right to vote, they should also have the right to remove their public representatives if they do not perform. ‘Right to Recall’ will strengthen democracy and make leaders accountable.”
What is Right to Recall?
Raghav Chadha told on social media that Right to Recall is a process that gives voters the right to remove an elected public representative from office before the end of his term. In simple words, if the voters are not satisfied with the work of their leader, they can initiate the process of removing him.
President and judge can be removed, why not leaders?
Chadha argued that India already has a system of impeachment for the President, Vice President and judges and no-confidence motions can be moved against governments. In such a situation, the same right should be there for elected leaders also.
measures to prevent misuse
The MP made it clear that Right to Recall is only a means to strengthen democracy and not a weapon against any leader. He suggested some conditions to prevent its misuse:
Signatures of approximately 35–40% voters are required to remove a public representative.
The leader should be given a ‘performance period’ of 18 months, so that he can improve.
If this happens, the parties will also give tickets only to qualified and working leaders.
In which countries is this system applicable?
Chadha said that Right to Recall is applicable in more than 20 democratic countries of the world including America, Switzerland and Canada. In India, this provision is also present in the Gram Panchayats of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Additionally, this right allows voters to hold their governments accountable in the US, UK, Switzerland, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Japan, Taiwan and Canada.