NEW DELHI: The Centre has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court addressing pleas seeking a stay on the recent appointment of two poll commissioners under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023.
The Centre defended the appointment of the two election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu by a panel which does not include the Chief Justice of India.
According to the affidavit the chief election commissioner and Other election commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and terms of office) Act, 2023, adequately protects the high constitutional institution of the Election Commission, creates a far more democratic and participative statutory mechanism for the functioning of the Commission whilst adhering to the principles laid down in the judgment of the Supreme Court, affidavit states.
One notable aspect of the act is the exclusion of the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel for election commissioners. The Centre opposing the applications seeking stay on the act said that the independence of the Election Commission, or any other organisation or authority, does not arise from and is not attributable to the presence of a judicial member in the Selection Committee.
Centre opposing the applications seeking stay on the act said that the independence of the Election Commission, or any other organisation or authority, does not arise from and is not attributable to the presence of a judicial member in the Selection Committee.
Moreover, the Centre defends the appointment process of the two election commissioners through a panel devoid of the Chief Justice of India. It asserts that the deliberations of the high-level committee under the CEC and EC Act, 2023, are collaborative, and discussions occur during the actual meetings.
Centre filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on pleas seeking stay on the CEC and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which dropped the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel from Election Commissioners.
(With inputs from agencies)
The Centre defended the appointment of the two election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu by a panel which does not include the Chief Justice of India.
According to the affidavit the chief election commissioner and Other election commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and terms of office) Act, 2023, adequately protects the high constitutional institution of the Election Commission, creates a far more democratic and participative statutory mechanism for the functioning of the Commission whilst adhering to the principles laid down in the judgment of the Supreme Court, affidavit states.
One notable aspect of the act is the exclusion of the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel for election commissioners. The Centre opposing the applications seeking stay on the act said that the independence of the Election Commission, or any other organisation or authority, does not arise from and is not attributable to the presence of a judicial member in the Selection Committee.
Centre opposing the applications seeking stay on the act said that the independence of the Election Commission, or any other organisation or authority, does not arise from and is not attributable to the presence of a judicial member in the Selection Committee.
Moreover, the Centre defends the appointment process of the two election commissioners through a panel devoid of the Chief Justice of India. It asserts that the deliberations of the high-level committee under the CEC and EC Act, 2023, are collaborative, and discussions occur during the actual meetings.
Centre filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on pleas seeking stay on the CEC and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which dropped the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel from Election Commissioners.
(With inputs from agencies)