Last meet of Lokpal drafting committee
Wraps up on 'Agree to disagree' note
Source: The Sangai Express / India Today

New Delhi, June 21 2011: The Lokpal joint drafting committee, which met for one last time on Tuesday, could not resolve the differences that have dogged the draft bill.

After the meeting, Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said the two sides "agreed to disagree" .

Even as the differences between the government and anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare's team remained unresolved, the two sides will present their drafts of the Lokpal bill, which will be placed before the Union Cabinet.

Now it will be left to the Cabinet to decide on merging the two drafts or dropping one in favour of the other.

The six contentious issues such as bringing the prime minister and the higher judiciary under the purview of the Lokpal or the anti-corruption ombudsman still remain.

"Anna and his team handed over a draft and we gave them our draft.

We had a short discussion.

In two-three days' time, they will react on the draft.

Both the drafts are being circulated to all political parties," Sibal said, adding, "The government is adamant to bring a strong Lokpal bill in the monsoon session of Parliament.

Differences on six points are still there.

We hope that differences will be resolved.

We agreed to disagree" .

The government representatives sought a greater role for politicians in the Lokpal selection committee, while the civil society members demanded a more "broad-based" Lokpal selection committee.

Civil society member and advocate Prashant Bhushan said, "We have exchanged drafts.

I'm deeply disappointed.

This Lokpal will be appointed by the political people.

No role has been assigned to the citizens' charter.

We are greatly disappointed" .

Sticking points
After Tuesday's meeting, the government claimed some breakthrough in talks, but the civil society members claimed points of discord still remain.

The two versions are jarringly different.

The main bones of contention are:
Inclusion of prime minister under the Lokpal The civil society is vehemently advocating it, but the government says it will agree to it only with riders.

Inclusion of higher judiciary under Lokpal's purview Team Anna wants entire judiciary under Lokpal, but the government is citing the Judicial Accountability Bill.

Merging of CBI and CVC with the Lokpal The government is not willing to agree to it.

The next point of discord is the Lokpal's power to probe conduct of MPs inside Parliament.

The government says only the speaker has the power.

The next point of discord is the Lokpal's power to probe conduct of MPs inside Parliament.

The government says only the speaker has the power.

The civil society wants the inclusion of entire bureaucracy, while the government says only joint secretary and above should be included.

On the structure of the Lokpal, Team Anna wants 11 members on top along with district level officers to form the Lokpal.

The government wants just an 11-member body to probe corruption at higher levels.

On Monday, two more were added.

First, selection of the Lokpal The civil society wants it to be mostly apolitical.

But the government suggested mostly political functionaries.

Finally, the removal of the Lokpal The civil society says any person can approach the Supreme Court against the Lokpal.

The government says only it can lodge a complaint.

Meanwhile, Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily on Tuesday said that the government and the civil society members agreed on 34 out of 40 points in the Janlokpal Bill.

Addressing the media after the meeting of the Lokpal bill draft committee ended, Moily said the government draft has done away with permission for probe.

He said that declaration of assets of public servants have been made compulsory in the government's draft.

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