Manipur general election 2017

Col (Retd) Khulem Sorojit Singh *

Assembly Building (component of Capitol Complex) at Chingmeirong, Imphal :: 2013 :: Pix - Danial Chabungbam

A little more than two years only is left for the next General Election in Manipur. Many politicians would have started their preparation much earlier. But, have we, as voters even given a thought as to who should become our MLA?

Only when we know what our MLAs are expected to do, can we, as common citizens, understand how to elect a suitable MLA and measure their performance and assess how well they are performing their roles. It is extremely important for us to be aware of what they will be doing in the next 5 years when they are elected as our representatives. Representatives are elected to perform certain duties. Should a representative/MLA fail to perform as expected, voters are left with no option but to wait till his/her term expires. This is because there is no system in India till date to recall or remove him/her. With these points in mind, let us analyse the Role/Functions, of an MLA.

Role/Functions.

Strange as it might sound, there is no ‘officially’ defined role of an MLA in India. This creates a problem in expectations among ordinary citizens with regard to their MLAs. In theory, the MLA’s has the four broad roles he needs to fulfill:
o Legislative – the role of making laws.
o Oversight – to make sure that the state government is doing the right things.
o Representation – representing the voice of citizens from his constituency in the assembly.
o Budget scrutiny and approval – carefully studying the budget before approving it (which enables the government to spend money on programmes.) [email protected]

An MLAs functioning area may be categorised into mainly two
(1) In The Legislative Assembly and
(2) In the community (Constituency).
A third functioning area will be in Executive Role in “Concerned Ministry” if appointed a Minister.

Let us analyse what he does in The Legislative Assembly and in his Constituency (community).

In the Legislative Assembly

In the course of their work in the House, with the purpose of (a) Legislation (b) Ensuring Accountability of the Ministers (c) Passing of Bills (d) Participating in Caucus (e) Presenting petitions from the public, an MLA typically :
o make statements in the Legislative Assembly about important issues;
o exchange ideas with other MLAs;
o ask questions to cabinet ministers to ensure accountability;
o state their views on legislation; (for creation of New Laws/Amend Existing Laws)
o introduce bills about issues important to the constituency or the MLA;
o participate in standing committees which monitor and provide advice to ministers responsible in particular areas, such as social programs, economic development, or government operations;
o participate in special committees set up to deal with major issues;
o participate in Caucus, in which all members are included as equals regardless of their other roles as cabinet ministers, Speaker, or committee chairs;
o present petitions from the public in the House;
o meet with groups who have special concerns, or interest in specific areas;
o talk with the media to help keep the public informed;
o follow current events by reading reports, attending meetings and conferences, and monitoring the media.

In the community (Constituency)

Members travel in their constituency often, for
o Constituents can meet them or speak with staff, discuss problems and get information about the Legislative Assembly or government agencies. (MLAs normally have at least one office in their constituency)
o Gather and understand Problems in his Constituency (Constituents often ask their MLA for information, or to help with housing, education, or many other matters. The Member can try to help solve the problem by speaking to the proper government department or minister. The MLA usually knows exactly who to call to avoid confusion and save time.)
o Find out Strong and Weak areas in his Constituency for taking up Development Projects (Members are often asked to open public buildings, roads etc)
o Interact with Public in his Constituency to increase Awareness and inform them of Govt Schemes. (Make speeches to community groups, and attend functions or anniversaries.)
o Visit and supervise development projects in his Constituency. He is the Chairman of Assembly Constituency Level Monitoring and Supervision Committee (ACLMSC) in his Constituency
o Keep in touch with constituents to find out what they think about issues;
o Follow current events by reading reports, attending meetings and conferences, and monitoring the media.
o Plan & execute Development Works from his MLA Local Area Development Scheme (MLA LADS) Fund (An MLA gets around Rs 1 Crore every year)

Essential Qualities of MLA

Considering the activities of MLA In the Legislative Assembly as well as in the community (Constituency), a good MLA should possess following Qualities
1. Leadership ability. To motivate of public towards a good cause.
2. Legal Knowledge. For meaningful participation in Legislation. To create New Laws or Amend existing Laws involves understanding the spirit of existing laws, implications of the new laws, to either support or oppose the enactment. There are 61 subjects in the State List and 47 in the Concurrent List for legislation by the Assembly
3. Good Command over Language. For proper Communication. Every MLA in Manipur should know the following languages
(a) English
(b) Hindi
(c) Manipuri
(d) Language of the people of his Constituency
4. Good General Knowledge & Awareness. For understanding and better participation in discussions.
5. Management Skills/ Competence. For better management of time, finances and resources.
6. Respectable Education Level (Minimum a Graduate and higher the better)
7. Visionary
8. Honest and Non Corrupt / Integrity to Distribute resources fairly and justly
9. A good Human Being /Empathy/ Compassion to Hear the voices of all our people; Preserve our traditions and bridge them with new ways to build our future; Promote equality of all our people; Respect and honour our land and all its inhabitants.
10. Non Criminal Minded/ Law abiding and No criminal Record
11. Matured, Polite and Dignified
12. Stable financially and no greedy nature
13. Good Health
14. Preferably with least Domestic Problems and Domestic Responsibility

What I Feel

I feel from now onward we should start looking for our future MLA and request him to represent us rather than the candidates approaching us with bribes and false promises. Some modality can be worked out before hand so that time and money is not wasted in election campaigns.

Representatives are chosen by the People
Let us choose judiciously