MAPUSA
Strongly vouching for an ordinance to do away with the secret ballot to elect a chairperson in the civic body, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on Thursday said that it should have been corrected long back, indicating support to his colleague and Margao MLA, Digambar Kamat.
Lobo also suggested that if in the Legislative Assembly the MLAs can show support by raising hands or standing up, then why should not the same procedure be adopted for the election of a chairperson or a mayor of a city.
“Whatever happened earlier was wrong. They were following wrong procedure. Since it was being done through secret ballot it was being followed all along. It should have been corrected long back. If correction is being done now, then it is politically right,” Lobo said
He said people of the village or the municipality area should know who all supported which candidate for the chairperson’s post.
“It is not about winning or losing. It is about people knowing who the elected representatives are supporting to be their chairperson. Let the people of Margao and Fatorda know who is supporting whom. It’s that simple,” he said.
In the Legislative Assembly and the Parliament, the elected representatives either raise their hands or stand up to indicate support for a particular bill or private member’s resolution or a government resolution or government bill.
Ordinance murder of grassroots democracy: LoP
OLD GOA: Stating that the government is behaving in an autocratic manner through its attempt to bring ordinance to amend the Municipalities Act, Opposition Leader Yuri Alemao said it is daylight murder of democracy at grassroots level.
“It is undermining the 73rd and 74th amendment of the Constitution giving powers to the local authorities,” Alemao pointed out, while speaking to reporters.
He further appealed to all the Opposition MLAs to unitedly fight the government on the issue while stating that the Congress will meet the Governor and submit memorandum not to give green signal for the ordinance.
“I appeal to all MLAs within the government and in the opposition to unitedly oppose such an ordinance,” he appealed.
Speaking on the issue, Adv Carlos Ferreira said the ordinance is being rushed because of the elections of the Margao Municipality Council chairperson.
“All elections are held by secret ballot but some people are saying that there is no clarity. If there is no clarity, then government should seek legal opinion,” Adv Ferreira informed.
He cited Rule 7 of the Municipalities Act, where it is stated that the election should be held by ballot.
