Taking a strong view of the ?unruly and unbecoming? conduct of MPs in parliament which has resulted in frequent disruptions, Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Friday favoured application of instruments such as ?recall? to ensure accountability of members. ?It is time for us to look for devices such as ?recall? to ensure accountability of the members of democratic institutions at all levels, before the common man gets totally disillusioned with the prevailing system,? Chatterjee said at a plenary in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference here.
The ?power to recall? was based on the maxim that elected members of the representative bodies should be accountable and answerable to their constituents through their term of office, he told the plenary. The Lok Sabha speaker said it was a matter of great concern that, of late, in many democracies, people?s perception of the parliament was changing and they were seen to be greatly ?disillusioned? with the very relevance of parliamentary system.
?Sometimes, the legislators are found involved in the activities which are unbecoming of the members of representative bodies and which tend to tarnish the prestige and image of the representative institutions,?he said. He maintained that the voters should be in a position to demand their recall before expiry of their term if the MP was found to be ?incompetent, insensitive, corrupt or indifferent? to their duties.