Ruling through ordinances not desirable in democracy: Kerala Governor

With several ordinances, including Kerala Lokayukta Ordinance, issued by the LDF government set to expire on Monday, Governor Khan said ruling through such means "is not desirable in a democracy".

With several ordinances, including the Kerala Lokayukta (Amendment) Ordinance, issued by the LDF government set to expire on Monday, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said ruling through such means "is not desirable in a democracy".

Khan said he was not going to approve their repromulgation without going through the ordinances.

He said that 13-14 ordinances were sent to him on the day he was leaving the state for Delhi to attend a meeting of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' committee and did not have the time to go through all of them.

"I need time to go through them. I have to apply my mind. Do you want me to sign them without applying my mind? We must uphold the spirit of democracy and ruling through ordinances is not something which is desirable in a democracy," the Governor said while speaking to reporters in the national capital.

"During certain emergencies, you can bring in an ordinance. Thereafter, it has to be ratified in the assembly session. It cannot happen that you continue promulgating the ordinance again and again. Why is there a Legislative Assembly if you are going to rule through ordinances," Khan said.

Among the ordinances set to expire, the Kerala Lokayukta (Amendment) Ordinance provides that the Governor, Chief Minister or the state government would be the competent authority and he or it may either accept or reject the declaration by the Lokayukta, after giving an opportunity of being heard.

The Congress-led UDF opposition is against the ordinance and had back in February urged the Governor not to sign it.