New Delhi:
Wednesday morning brought hope of a breakthrough, but the Team-Anna-Government talks on Lokpal seem to have hit a roadblock. Talks are stuck on a few points that neither side wants to relent on - among them that the Lokpal should cover junior bureaucrats and that the new anti-corruption law should cover both the Centre and the states.
Sources say Law Minister Salman Khurshid is taking a new draft of the Lokpal Bill to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was assigned the task of handling talks with Team Anna by the Prime Minister yesterday. This new draft, the result of several rounds of discussions between the Law Minister and other government representatives and Anna's aides - Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Kiran Bedi - could also be circulated at an all-party meeting at 3.30 pm today, as the government tries to build political consensus on the Lokpal issue.
Kiran Bedi, who has been tweeting updates on her team's talks with the government, said in her latest tweet, "Meeting over 3 sticking issues of lokayut and others held. Discussions continue. But we r running out of time Today is vital. (sic)" The third round of discussions will be held after lunch.
The government's priority right now is to get Anna Hazare to break his nine-day-old fast and then it will look to buy time to negotiate on sticking points. "There can be convergence," Mr Khurshid said of the government's Lokpal Bill versus the activists' draft. "But convergence cannot happen the instant talks begin...it takes time." He also said that both sides must focus first on convincing Anna to end his fast, given his fragile health.
Mr Hazare's doctors said the 74-year-old activist slept through the night which has helped improve his condition. He appeared on stage a little after 11 am and slammed the government for lacking the will to introduce a tough new Lokpal Bill to paralyze corruption among public servants. (Read: Who is Anna Hazare?)
At his massive camp at Ramlila Maidan, Anna said, "There is an atmosphere of sacrifice in the country. I have lost only six kilos. There's nothing to worry about. You are keeping me strong." (Watch)
Amid reports that his associates and the government are inching their way towards a compromise on the Lokpal Bill, Anna used his speech to highlight two major differences over the Bill which is meant to create an independent agency that will investigate venality among public servants. "The government still does not seem committed to fighting corruption; it seems scared that if we have an honest country, their funds will dry up," Anna said. He went on to say that any version of the Lokpal Bill must cover junior bureaucrats - a point the government has so far disagreed with. The Gandhian also said that the Lokpal Bill must be introduced at the Centre and in all states; the government wants states to draft their own versions of the Bill. (Read: What is Jan Lokpal Bill?)
Both the government and Anna's associates are hoping that he will be able to consider ending his hunger strike today after both sides bridge the gap on their separate versions of the Lokpal Bill. The government hopes to bring the Opposition on board at an all-party meeting scheduled for 3.30 this afternoon. The government would like for a breakthrough to be announced before the Prime Minister's iftaar party this evening. This morning, the Prime Minister reportedly urged Anna once again to accept medical assistance. As news spread last evening of Anna's worsening health, Dr Manmohan Singh wrote to Anna, urging him to end his hunger strike against corruption. (Team Anna vs Govt: Areas of dispute, negotiation)
Team Anna wants the government to withdraw the official version of the Lokpal Bill which was introduced in Parliament earlier this week. The activists say the Bill is weak and exempts too many public servants, including the Prime Minister. Anna and his associates want their version of the Bill - which they refer to as the Jan Lokpal Bill or People's Lokpal Bill - to be passed in this session of Parliament which ends on September 8, an unrealistic deadline according to some in the government.
Sources say that most of the contentious issues between Team Anna and the government have been resolved. For example, the government has agreed that the Lokpal Bill should cover the Prime Minister. The activists, in exchange, have accepted that corruption charges against senior judges will be addressed through the Judicial Accountability Bill, which will be vetted by the activists, and introduced in Parliament along with a modified Lokpal Bill. There is consensus also on the extent that the anti-corruption wings of the CBI and the Central Vigilance Commission will report to the Lokpal.
What remains to be resolved is whether junior bureaucrats should be reviewed by the Lokpal Bill. The activists say that's essential; the government says this will require 20,000 people to work with the Lokpal or ombudsman committee. Other areas of difference include whether states should draft their own versions of the Lokpal Bill or implement the one passed at the Centre. The activists also want a citizen's charter to be adopted by every government department which would detail the duties of officials in that team and include penalties for under-performance. Talks are stuck on these points, and sources say the Government, which has bent on most issues, does not seem inclined to give in on these.
Formal negotiations were launched last evening, with the government deputing Pranab Mukherjee, its serial trouble-shooter, to meet with three of Anna's reps. After the meeting, Anna's aides said that while the talks were "fruitful" and "constructive," Anna would need a written commitment from the government on how it plans to introduce his version of the Lokpal Bill in Parliament.
The Prime Minister wrote to Anna last evening, expressing concern over the activist's frail health, and offering that Anna's Lokpal Bill could be studied by the Parliamentary standing committee that already has the government's draft. However, Team Anna wants their Lokpal Bill to be debated directly by Parliament, which would entail bypassing any deliberations at the committee level. (Read: Prime Minister's letter to Anna Hazare)
Sources say Law Minister Salman Khurshid is taking a new draft of the Lokpal Bill to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was assigned the task of handling talks with Team Anna by the Prime Minister yesterday. This new draft, the result of several rounds of discussions between the Law Minister and other government representatives and Anna's aides - Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Kiran Bedi - could also be circulated at an all-party meeting at 3.30 pm today, as the government tries to build political consensus on the Lokpal issue.
Kiran Bedi, who has been tweeting updates on her team's talks with the government, said in her latest tweet, "Meeting over 3 sticking issues of lokayut and others held. Discussions continue. But we r running out of time Today is vital. (sic)" The third round of discussions will be held after lunch.
The government's priority right now is to get Anna Hazare to break his nine-day-old fast and then it will look to buy time to negotiate on sticking points. "There can be convergence," Mr Khurshid said of the government's Lokpal Bill versus the activists' draft. "But convergence cannot happen the instant talks begin...it takes time." He also said that both sides must focus first on convincing Anna to end his fast, given his fragile health.
Mr Hazare's doctors said the 74-year-old activist slept through the night which has helped improve his condition. He appeared on stage a little after 11 am and slammed the government for lacking the will to introduce a tough new Lokpal Bill to paralyze corruption among public servants. (Read: Who is Anna Hazare?)
At his massive camp at Ramlila Maidan, Anna said, "There is an atmosphere of sacrifice in the country. I have lost only six kilos. There's nothing to worry about. You are keeping me strong." (Watch)
Amid reports that his associates and the government are inching their way towards a compromise on the Lokpal Bill, Anna used his speech to highlight two major differences over the Bill which is meant to create an independent agency that will investigate venality among public servants. "The government still does not seem committed to fighting corruption; it seems scared that if we have an honest country, their funds will dry up," Anna said. He went on to say that any version of the Lokpal Bill must cover junior bureaucrats - a point the government has so far disagreed with. The Gandhian also said that the Lokpal Bill must be introduced at the Centre and in all states; the government wants states to draft their own versions of the Bill. (Read: What is Jan Lokpal Bill?)
Both the government and Anna's associates are hoping that he will be able to consider ending his hunger strike today after both sides bridge the gap on their separate versions of the Lokpal Bill. The government hopes to bring the Opposition on board at an all-party meeting scheduled for 3.30 this afternoon. The government would like for a breakthrough to be announced before the Prime Minister's iftaar party this evening. This morning, the Prime Minister reportedly urged Anna once again to accept medical assistance. As news spread last evening of Anna's worsening health, Dr Manmohan Singh wrote to Anna, urging him to end his hunger strike against corruption. (Team Anna vs Govt: Areas of dispute, negotiation)
Team Anna wants the government to withdraw the official version of the Lokpal Bill which was introduced in Parliament earlier this week. The activists say the Bill is weak and exempts too many public servants, including the Prime Minister. Anna and his associates want their version of the Bill - which they refer to as the Jan Lokpal Bill or People's Lokpal Bill - to be passed in this session of Parliament which ends on September 8, an unrealistic deadline according to some in the government.
Sources say that most of the contentious issues between Team Anna and the government have been resolved. For example, the government has agreed that the Lokpal Bill should cover the Prime Minister. The activists, in exchange, have accepted that corruption charges against senior judges will be addressed through the Judicial Accountability Bill, which will be vetted by the activists, and introduced in Parliament along with a modified Lokpal Bill. There is consensus also on the extent that the anti-corruption wings of the CBI and the Central Vigilance Commission will report to the Lokpal.
What remains to be resolved is whether junior bureaucrats should be reviewed by the Lokpal Bill. The activists say that's essential; the government says this will require 20,000 people to work with the Lokpal or ombudsman committee. Other areas of difference include whether states should draft their own versions of the Lokpal Bill or implement the one passed at the Centre. The activists also want a citizen's charter to be adopted by every government department which would detail the duties of officials in that team and include penalties for under-performance. Talks are stuck on these points, and sources say the Government, which has bent on most issues, does not seem inclined to give in on these.
Formal negotiations were launched last evening, with the government deputing Pranab Mukherjee, its serial trouble-shooter, to meet with three of Anna's reps. After the meeting, Anna's aides said that while the talks were "fruitful" and "constructive," Anna would need a written commitment from the government on how it plans to introduce his version of the Lokpal Bill in Parliament.
The Prime Minister wrote to Anna last evening, expressing concern over the activist's frail health, and offering that Anna's Lokpal Bill could be studied by the Parliamentary standing committee that already has the government's draft. However, Team Anna wants their Lokpal Bill to be debated directly by Parliament, which would entail bypassing any deliberations at the committee level. (Read: Prime Minister's letter to Anna Hazare)
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