Govt draft includes Anna’s demands. Resolution at 5 PM

Mangalore Today / CNN IBN

New Delhi, August 27: An end to the logjam over a strong Lokpal Bill may be in sight as the Government seems to have accepted the three key demands of Anna Hazare. The government’s draft of the resolution includes the three key points - lower judiciary, citizens’ charter and Lokayuktas in every state, according to sources. Hazare is likely to break his 12-day-long fast after the draft resolution is adopted by Parliament.

Sources say that the Government may bring up the resolution between the ongoing discussions on the Lokpal Bill in Parliament on Saturday.

The resolution will recommend that all the three issues be considered by the Standing Committee before which the Government’s version and the Jan Lokpal bill have already been referred.
Anna Hazare is likely to end his fast after the resolution is adopted by Parliament.

 

The Government has also circulated the draft suggestions to all the political parties for consideration which was finalised in meeting chaired by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and attended by Jaitley, Congress’ East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit, Law Minister Salman Khurshid, Telecom and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal.

"We are not standing on prestige," Jaitley said after attending the meeting. He, however, told Mukherjee that constitutionally it was possible for Parliament to enact a law creating Lokayuktas in states and the Lokpal Bill should have an enabling provision in this regard.

Meanwhile, members of Team Anna - Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi - have reached Khurshid’s house to meet members from the Government. Mukherjee is also expected to meet Hazare associates - Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal.

Hazare has now been on fast for 12 days and the doctors on Saturday said that his blood pressure is going down. He has also lost over seven kg and now weighs less than 65 kg.

 

Team Anna delivers new speed-breaker, demands vote

Just when everything seemed in place for Anna Hazare to break his fast, Team Anna has just emerged from last-minute discussions with the government to say - "no breakthrough." Even though doctors say Anna, now on the 12th day of his fast, is in worrying condition, his associates say he will not end his hunger strike.
 
Team Anna says it wants a Parliament discussion with a vote. But the Parliament is debating the Lokpal Bill on a motion that does not entail voting. It is not clear yet why Team Anna is not taking into account the government’s offer of a resolution passed by Parliament at the end of the debate that accepts Anna’s three demands for a new Lokpal or ombudsman committee in charge of investigating complaints against government servants.