Goa Governor should dissolve house to avoid constitutional crisis: Congress


Panaji, Feb 10 (IANS): Even as a constitutional crisis brews in Tamil Nadu, the Congress in Goa on Friday claimed that the western coastal state may also be heading for a constitutional crisis if the state's sixth legislative assembly is not dissolved by the Governor and President's Rule is imposed before March 3.

State Congress President Luizinho Faleiro said that according to Article 174 of the Constitution, the Governor has to summon the state legislative assembly to conduct sessions every six months and March 3 marks the end of the six-month period from the time when the last assembly session concluded.

Results to the state assembly elections will be declared on March 11.

"If the government of the day seeks to continue in office without having the seating within six months, then this will be wholly unconstitutional and the government will be an unconstitutional government," Faleiro told a press conference in Panaji.

"The Governor, who is bound to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law is duty bound to exercise the discretion, either to summon the House or dissolve the House, if no summoning is done," Faleiro said.

The last sitting of the state legislative assembly was the Monsoon session which concluded on August 31.

Faleiro also said that the Election Commission should have recommended dissolution of the House after finalising the date for the elections (Feb 4) and counting (March 11), because this was a constitutional crisis the poll authority should have seen coming.

"We demand that the Governor should uphold the Constitutional mandate and not act as a rubber stamp of the government," he also said.

While Raj Bhavan has not commented on the issue, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said that the state Advocate General had been asked for an opinion on the issue.

"We have asked the AG to look into the matter. The government will abide by the Advocate General's opinion," Parsekar said.

 

  

Top Stories

Comment on this article

  • Dr Mohan Prabhu, LL.D, QC, Mangalore (Kankanady)/Ottawa, Canada

    Sat, Feb 11 2017

    It is incredible that the electoral machinery is so outdated that it takes so long to count votes in a small state with just over a million people where not more than half a million are eligible to vote. It is improbable that the state government has anything to do with election results. Even in large countries like the US and Canada voting results are in within hours and days after closing of polls. They have electronic machines to count votes. It looks like the EC lacks resources, both human and technological, to do its job. It shows the continuing backwardness in this democratically important process.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • G R PRABHU, BEJAI.MANGALURU.

    Sat, Feb 11 2017

    Any how one month left for the results. Let them enjoy.

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Vincent Rodrigues, Katapadi/Frazer Town,Bangaluru

    Sat, Feb 11 2017

    The Governor need to adhere to the provisions of our constitution if it is required

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse


Leave a Comment

Title: Goa Governor should dissolve house to avoid constitutional crisis: Congress



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.