Ambedkar opposes fixed five-year LS term proposal

MUMBAI, SEPT 7: Republican Party of India leader Prakash Ambedkar today opposed the idea of amending the Constitution to fix a five-year term for Lok Sabha. The idea was mooted by the BJP and is part of its poll campaign at national level.

Addressing the media at the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh this afternoon, Ambedkar said if the LS was given a fixed five-year term, the party system would collapse. In such a system where the House will stay put for five years, the party-based political system will break down. The MPs will know that they will not lose their status in any condition and this will lead to opportunism. The government will change every three months but the House will continue to exist. The weapon of vote of confidence’ will lose its ower, and this should not happen in any case,’ said Ambedkar.

Surprisingly, another RPI leader Ramdas Athavale had last week said he supported the idea of a fixed five-year term for the Lok Sabha.

When asked what would be the post election scenario in theState, Ambedkar said the Assembly seats would be divided between the Congress(I)-RPI-Bahujan Mahasangh alliance and the Sena-BJP alliance.

I do not see Sharad Pawar and the Nationalist Congress Party as a force in Maharashtra. If a leader breaks away from a party, then he should prove his own credibility independently and not with the help of several friends,’ he added.

The government which comes to power at New Delhi should involve all political parties and build a national consensus to solve problems being created by Pakistan.