MIC, presidential contest and full moon

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On May 21, 2013

(FMT) – MIC will face a risk of being de-registered simply because G Palanivel’s position as the president is illegitimate.

The MIC constitution does not give the party’s Central Working Committee arbitrary powers to prolong the term of president as long as the president wishes.

Members of the powerful Central Working Committee (CWC) which is also MIC’s highest policy–making body must now without further delay call for an urgent meeting to discuss Article 51 of the party’s constitution and advice the members on the status of presidential election.

If this doesn’t happen quickly, MIC will face a risk of being de-registered simply because G Palanivel’s position as the president is illegitimate. This will and can prompt the Registrar of Society to conduct investigations.

The CWC needs to exercise its powers to make a final and conclusive decision. Elections for all party positions must be held at the soonest.

The CWC shall be responsible for and conduct of the presidential election. The CWC should have appointed an “Election Committee” to conduct the election not later than three months before the expiry of the term of the office of the president.

This is clearly stipulated under Article 58.3 of the party constitution.

Though I am not a constitutional law expert, isn’t it legally binding on the CWC to inform the party delegates on this legal technicality.

The CWC cannot deliberately allow Palanivel to stick to the party leadership. The CWC has breached the law by not doing so.

MIC is grappling with the question how to stay relevant during the time of changing political landscape, and now with this legal complications, the party is clearly heading towards disaster.

S Samy Vellu was re-elected party president on March 2009. Since then, four years have passed. Based on simple logics, Palanivel has no locus standi to run the party. He took over from Samy Vellu as an acting president in March 2010.