9

PARLIAMENTARY AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

(1 APRIL TO 30 JUNE 2000)

Events covered in this Feature are based primarily on reports appearing in the daily newspapers and as such the Lok Sabha Secretariat does not accept any responsibility for their accuracy, authenticity or veracity.

INDIA

DEVELOPMENTS AT THE UNION

Deputy Leader of INC in Rajya Sabha: On 21 April 2000, Shri K. Rehman Khan was appointed as the Deputy Leader of the Indian National Congress (INC) in the Rajya Sabha.

Election of Chairman of the Asia Region of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA): The Speaker, Lok Sabha, Shri G.M.C. Balayogi was unanimously elected Chairman of the Asia Region of the CPA by its Executive Committee on 20 May 2000. The Secretary-General, Lok Sabha, Shri G.C. Malhotra was elected as its Regional Secretary. The elections were held at the First Regional Conference of CPA Branches in Asia and South East Asia Regions, hosted at Calcutta from 20 to 24 May 2000.

Expansion of the Council of Ministers: On 27 May 2000, the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee expanded the Cabinet by inducting two Ministers of Cabinet rank. The Ministers and their portfolios are: Shri Nitish Kumar: Agriculture; and Shri Arjun Sethi: Water Resources.

New Minister of State: On 27 May 2000, Shri Brij K. Tripathi was appointed the Minister of State for Steel following the resignation of  Shri Dilip Ray.

Death of member: On 11 June 2000, Shri Rajesh Pilot a member of the 13th Lok Sabha belonging to the Indian National Congress died in a road accident.

AROUND THE STATES

ANDHRA PRADESH

Death of MLA: On 22 April 2000, Shri Indra Reddy, MLA belonging to the Congress died in a road accident.

ARUNACHAL PRADESH

Assam Governor given additional charge of Arunachal Pradesh: On 8 June 2000, the Governor of Assam, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Shri S.K. Sinha was given additional charge as the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.

BIHAR

 Death of MLA: On 14 April 2000, Shri Gurudas Chatterjee, MLA, belonging to the Marxist Coordination Committee was assassinated by suspected Marxist Communist Centre activists in Dhanbad.

By-elections results: In the by-elections to the State Legislative Assembly held on 4 May 2000, seven members of the Legislative Council were elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly. They were: Sarvashri Jabir Hussain, Upendra Kumar Singh, Ramnandan Singh, Kumar Rakesh Ranjan, Ram Karan Shanti, Ganga Prasad and Babeshwar Singh Bharati. They took oath on 7 May 2000.

On 29 May 2000, Smt. Rabri Devi won the Raghopur Assembly seat for which the by-election was held on 26 May 2000.

 Resignation of Minister: On 8 May 2000, the Governor of Bihar, Shri V.C. Pandey accepted the resignation of the Minister for Minor Irrigation, Shri Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav.

DELHI

New Mayor: On 19 April 2000, Shri Shanti Desai was elected as the new Mayor of Delhi.

HARYANA

New Governor: On 19 June 2000, Shri Babu Parmanand was sworn-in as the new Governor of Haryana.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Reallocation of Portfolios: On 27 April 2000, the Chief Minister,   Shri Prem Kumar Dhumal reallocated some of the portfolios. The Ministers and their portfolios are: Shri Praveen Sharma: Excise; Shri Prakash Chaudhary: Animal Husbandry; Shri R.L. Markanda: Rural Development.

MADHYA PRADESH

Appointment of Deputy Chief Ministers: On 26 April 2000, Shri Subhash Yadav and Smt. Jamuna Devi were appointed as Deputy Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh.

Expansion of the Council of Ministers: On 26 April 2000, the Chief Minister, Shri Digvijay Singh expanded the Cabinet by inducting 12 Ministers. The Ministers and their portfolios are:

Cabinet Ministers: Shri Subhash Yadav: Narmada Valley Development, Culture and Tourism; Shri Rajendra Prasad Shukla:
Parliamentary Affairs and Law; Shri Harvansh Singh: Forest; Shri Hazarilal Raghuvanshi: Planning, 20-point Programme Implementation and Economic Development; Shri K.P. Singh : Village Development;  Shri Hiralal Silawat: Fisheries; Shri Arif Aqueel: Minorities Welfare (excluding Backward Classes Community), Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation; and Shri Doman Singh Nagpure: Backward Classes Community Welfare and Labour.

Ministers of State: Shri Manvendra Singh: Public works; Shri Shiv Narayan Meena: Panchayat and Rural Development; Shri Satyendra Pathak: Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection; and
Shri Pratap Singh Yike: Tribal Welfare.

MEGHALAYA

Governor reappointed: On 14 June 2000, Shri M.M. Jacob was re-appointed as the Governor of Meghalaya.

ORISSA

MLA suspended: On 27 June 2000, Shri Harihar Karan of the Congress was suspended for anti-party activities.

PONDICHERRY

Expansion of Cabinet: On 16 April 2000, the Chief Minister of Pondicherry, Shri P. Shanmugham expanded the Cabinet by inducting three new Ministers. The Ministers are: Sarvashri N. Rengaswami, E. Valsraj and Theni C. Jayakumar.

PUNJAB

Expulsion of MLAs : On 13 June 2000, the Shiromani Akali Dal expelled nine MLAs including the former Speaker, Shri Ravi Inder Singh for their anti-party activities.

TAMIL NADU

Death of MLA: On 20 April 2000, Shri G. Chockkalingam, MLA, belonging to the DMK passed away following a brief illness.

TRIPURA

New Governor: On 17 June 2000, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Shri K.M. Seth was appointed as the new Governor of Tripura.

UTTAR PRADESH

Election to the Legislative Council: On 4 May 2000, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Ram Prakash Gupta and the State Samajwadi Party Chief, Shri Ram Saran Das were elected to the Legislative Council from the Assembly segments in the biennial election.

DEVELOPMENTS ABROAD

BOLIVIA

Political developments: On 25 April 2000, the entire Cabinet of President, Hugo Benzer resigned after a controversial state of emergency was lifted plunging the country into a new political crisis.

BOSNIA

New Prime Minister: On 17 June 2000, Bosnia’s multi-ethnic
Parliament approved Mr. Spasaje Tusevljak as the country’s first Prime Minister.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

New President: On 19 May 2000, Mr. Hipolitu Mejia was elected as the new President.

FIJI

Political developments: On 19 May 2000, the President, Mr. Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara declared a state of emergency after the coup leader Mr. George Speight seized the ethnic Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Mahendra Chaudhary and his Cabinet. On 27 May 2000, the President suspended the Government of Prime Minister, Mr. Mahendra Chaudhary.

On 29 May 2000, the Chief of Fiji’s Military Force, Commodore Frank Bainimarana proclaimed martial law and assumed executive
power. On 30 May 2000, the new military regime named Mr. Tatu Epeli Naitatikau as the interim Prime Minister.

On 31 May 2000, the military ruler set a time-frame of up to three years for formulating a new Constitution.

GEORGIA

President re-elected: On 10 April 2000, Mr. Eduvard Shevardnadze was re-elected for a second term as the President.

IRAN

Election of Speaker: On 11 June 2000, Mr. Mehdi Karroubi was elected as the Speaker.

Deputy Speakers appointed: On 11 June 2000, Mr. Behzad Nabani and Mr. Mohammad Rexo Khatami were appointed as Deputy Speakers.

ISRAEL

Resignation of Deputy Prime Minister: On 28 May 2000, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Yitzhak Mordechai resigned from Office.

Withdrawal of support: On 13 June 2000, the 17-member Shas Party withdrew support to Prime Minister, Mr. Ehud Barak’s ruling coalition.

ITALY

Trust vote: On 4 May 2000, the Prime Minister, Mr. Givliano Amatis won the Confidence vote in the Upper House.

JAPAN

New Prime Minister: On 5 April 2000, Mr. Yoshiro Mori was elected as the new Prime Minister.

Censure Motion: On 31 May 2000, the Prime Minister, Mr. Yoshiro Mori survived a censure vote in the Upper House of Parliament.

Dissolution of Lower House: On 2 June 2000, the Prime Minister, Mr. Yoshiro Mori dissolved the Lower House.

JORDAN

Prime Minister dismissed: On 18 June 2000, King Abdullah of Jordan dismissed the Prime Minister, Mr. Abdul-Raouf Al Rawabdeh, replacing him with Mr. Ali Abu Al-Ragheb.

LATVIA

Political developments: On 12 April 2000, the withdrawal of support by the Nationalist Party to the Prime Minister, Mr. Andris Skele’s
Centre-Right coalition resulted in the fall of the Government.

PAKISTAN

Resignation of Governor: On 24 May 2000, the Governor of Sind Province, Mr. Azim Daudpota resigned from the office.

PERU

 President re-elected: On 29 May 2000, Mr. Alberto Fujimori was re-elected for a third term as the President.

RUSSIA

New President: On 7 May 2000, Mr. Vladimir Putin was sworn in as the new President.

New Prime Minister: On 7 May 2000, Mr. Mikhail Kasyanov was appointed as the acting Prime Minister and on 17 May 2000, he became the Prime Minister.

Political developments: On 14 May 2000, the President, Mr. Vladimir Putin divided the country into seven federal districts to be headed by a Presidential representative, who would help the President in exercising his Presidential powers.

SENEGAL

New Cabinet: On 4 April 2000, the Prime Minister, Mr. Moustapha Niasse announced the formation of his 27-member rmulti-party Government, the first of its kind in the country.

SOLOMON ISLANDS

Political developments: On 5 June 2000, the armed rebel group known as Malaita Eagles led by Honiara Lawyer Andrew Nori seized the Prime Minister, Mr. Bartholomew Ulu Fa’alu and took control of the key installations in a coup attempt. On 7 June 2000, the Prime Minister was freed from militia custody. On 14 June 2000, the Prime Minister resigned from office.

New Prime Minister: On 30 June 2000, the opposition Leader, Mr. Mannasseh Sogavare was elected as the new Prime Minister.

SOUTH KOREA

Resignation of Prime Minister: On 19 May 2000, the Prime Minister, Mr. Park Tae-Joon resigned from Office.

New Prime Minister: On 22 May 2000, the President, Mr. Kim Dae-Jung appointed Mr. Lee Han-Dong as the new Prime Minister.

SRI LANKA

Minister assassinated: On 7 June 2000, the Industry Minister, Mr. C.V. Gooneratna was assassinated by a suicide bomber.

SYRIA

Death of President: On 10 June 2000, the President, Mr. Hafez al Assad passed away.

THAILAND

New Deputy Prime Minister: On 6 April 2000, the Prime Minister,  Mr. Chuan Leekpai appointed Mr. Banyat Bantadthan as the Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister replacing Mr. Sanan Kachornprasart.

TURKEY

New President: On 16 May 2000, Judge Ahmet Necdet Sezer took oath as the new President.