The political mischief being resorted to by the power intoxicated Goa Government to malafidely postpone the Panchayat elections comes as no surprise. Holding elections on time is the very essence of democracy. The cavalier manner that this government is functioning is reprehensible. The very independence and autonomy of the State Election Commission is flagrantly being breached in absolute misuse of power and authority. After having promised good governance and transparency, it is now clear that there is no respect for the rule of law. The silence of Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai over issues that concern the public is deafening, as he is duty bound to reprimand the government on wrong decisions taken.
Constitutional order and values must always prevail as constitutional morality thrives when misuse of executive power is restrained. Guided by the principle of limited government we need to protect and safeguard our constitution by ensuring that the executive does not do whatever it wants, bypassing constitutional morality. William Shakespeare had said ‘there is something rotten in the State of Denmark’. It is time to get to the bottom of the rot in Goa.
