Appointment of Election Commissioners (ECs)

(MainsGS2:Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.)

Context:

• Recently, many issues related with the ECI have been discussed in court hearings and outside; thus, a deeper look at the ECI may be useful, given its role in the preservation of democracy in the country.

 Larger issue:

• Article 324 of the Constitution is the fountainhead that creates the ECI and two stalwarts of Constitution-making Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Dr. Rajendra Prasad in their final speeches in the CA provide necessary insight on the position of ECI.
• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar said, “However good a Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad because those who are called to work it, happen to be a bad lot. 
• However bad a Constitution may be, it may turn out to be good if those who are called to work it, happen to be a good lot. The working of a Constitution does not depend wholly upon the nature of the Constitution.”

Statement of Dr. Rajendra Prasad:

• Dr. Rajendra Prasad said, “Whatever the Constitution may or may not provide, the welfare of the country will depend upon the way in which the country is administered. 
• That will depend upon the men who administer it... If the people who are elected are capable and men of character and integrity, they would be able to make the best even of a defective Constitution. 
• If they are lacking in these, the Constitution cannot help the country. After all, a Constitution, like a machine, is a lifeless thing.
• It acquires life because of the men who control it and operate it, and India needs today nothing more than a set of honest men who will have the interest of the country before them.”

Weakness in the system:

• One major weakness in the system(s) of appointments of the ECs proposed so far is that they all perpetuate the bureaucratisation of the ECI, which is not even hinted at in the Constitution anywhere. 
• Two visible manifestations of this are the so-called elevation of ECs to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), and the tenures of ECs and CEC. 
• The elevation is a clear violation of the principle of primus inter pares and Monopolisation of the positions of ECs and CEC by the administrative services is too obvious to need highlighting.

Bold actions required:

• An existing committee of Parliament or a new committee formed for this purpose should propose the qualifications and requirements for persons to be appointed as ECs/CEC. 
• The proposals of the committee should be put to Parliament and should be considered approved only if they are approved by two-thirds majority of the members of Parliament present and voting. 
• Once the qualifications and requirements have been approved by Parliament, the same committee should be entrusted with the task of searching for and selecting individuals proposed to be appointed as ECs/CEC.

Through committee:

• The committee should invite nominations and applications of individuals appropriate for or interested in being appointed as ECs/CEC.
• The committee should send its recommendations to Parliament for consideration. 
• Recommendations of the committee should be considered approved by Parliament only if approved by two-thirds majority of the members of Parliament present and voting. 
• Once Parliament approves the recommendations, they should be sent to the President for approving the appointments. 
• Once appointed, such persons should stay in their positions for six years or the age of 75 years, whichever is earlier and persons above the age of 69 years should not be appointed.
• Persons so appointed should be removable only by a process of impeachment as applicable to the Supreme Court judges.

Conclusion:

• If democracy in its real sense needs to be strengthened and to be preserved in the country then the importance of the ECI has to be recognised and accepted.