Following Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s reluctance to give consent to 11 ordinances, which subsequently expired on August 8, the Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday decided to convene the next session of the Legislative Assembly from August 22. The government is now planning to introduce these lapsed ordinances as bills in the Assembly. The government had expected that the governor would send the lapsed ordinances back, which would have enabled the government to re-promulgate them as ordinances. The Cabinet decision to convene the Assembly session later this month is to overcome the unprecedented situation in governance . On Wednesday, the governor reiterated his stand against signing the ordinances. “If the ordinances come again, I would apply my mind to see whether any urgency exists…I have to exercise my fair judgement and then only I can sign. When the Assembly is not in session, that (then) this power to issue ordinance has been given. After signing the ordinances, sessions of the Assembly had been held. Now, I am asked to sign the ordinances again. I would see whether an emergency situation prevails that demands I should sign these ordinances,’’ he told the media in Delhi. Earlier, the governor had come out against “ordinance raj”. “Ordinances can be issued whenever there is a contingency situation. Then, why is the Assembly elected if ordinances have to be issued? The Supreme Court had given strictures against re-promulgation of ordinances.”
