Amid controversy over the Leader of Opposition (LoP) post, anti-corruption activists have emphasised its importance saying that the post is essential to end the government's dominance in Lokpal selection panel.
"In the absence of the LoP, the selection committee would be dominated by the central government - 3:1 - with the judicial member being in a minority. Surely, this is not what Parliament had intended when it drew up the Lokpal selection process," said Venkatesh Nayak, an activist working for promoting the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The chairperson and members of Lokpal are to be selected by a committee headed by the Prime Minister and having four other members -- the Lok Sabha Speaker, Leader of Opposition in the Lower House, the Chief Justice of India or a judge of the apex court nominated by him, and an eminent jurist who could be nominated by the President or any other member.
"The fifth member must be an eminent jurist who may be nominated by all four members including the LoP in Lok Sabha. So the LoP is an important member in the Lokpal selection panel and a necessity for all other statutory appointments," said Nayak.
Another activist, Ajay Dubey, also laid emphasis on the importance of LoP. "LoP acts as the voice of opposition. It is essential to end the government's influence in the selection process of Lokpal and other authorities, and keep them fair," said Dubey of Transparency International.
