Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha raised the issue of Right to Recall (RTR) in the House on Wednesday. This is a system in which voters have the right to recall their elected representative.
Chadha argued that if an elected MP or MLA is unable to please the voters with his work, he should have the right to remove him from the post.
Raghav Chadha said that Right to Recall is available in 24 countries. He said that in some Indian states like Rajasthan and Karnataka, this system is also in place at the Panchayat level. Due to which voters can recall the public representatives if their work is not good.
What will happen if Right to Recall comes?
According to Raghav Chadha, Right to Recall will act as an insurance system for the voters, giving them the security that if their representative forgets them after winning the election or ignores their area, then the voters can cancel their mandate. However, most of the members of the House did not seem to agree with his arguments.
Why should one get the right to RTR?
The AAP MP argued that if the Constitution has a provision for removal of constitutional officers, including the President and Vice President, by their voters, then why should the people not have the right to recall their elected representatives? He argued that Right to Recall should be introduced only when 50 percent of the total voters in a representative’s constituency exercise the Right to Recall.
Which 24 countries have Right to Recall?
Serial number Name of the country At what level is the provision
1 America at some state and local levels
2 at the provincial level in British Columbia, Canada
3 Switzerland in some cantons (provinces)
4 Philippines locally
5 Taiwan legislator, mayor, president under certain conditions
6 Japan at the local and legislative levels
7 South Korea locally
8 Argentina In some states and municipalities
9 Latvia has a parliamentary system
10. Referendum recall for Slovakia president
11 Romania Recall Referendum for President
12 poland locally
13 Serbia locally
14 Ukraine locally
15 including Venezuelan President
16 Bolivian Presidents included
17 Ecuadorian president and local level
18 Peruvian local mass
19 for Columbia Mayor and Governor
20 Panama at legislative level
21 Mexico at the presidential and state level
22 Russia at the local and regional level
23 India In some states local bodies
24 Nepal at local body level
By looking at the table given above, you would have come to know that in the 24 countries of the world where the Right to Recall system is in place, it is not applied equally. In some countries this system also applies to the President, while in some it also allows the removal of MPs. However, in most countries this system is limited to local bodies and panchayats, including some states in India.