Let there be an election for the President’s chair

All others starting with Dr Saravapalli Radhakrishnan all had only one term.  So, it has become a well-established custom that the President of India though can seek re-election for a second term but had only one term. For every president, the usual question that would arise when they finish their term is whether they will be given one more term.  The party/ alliance that nominated him/her starts the debate and the party/alliance that did not nominate him/her opposes that.  

The office of the President was created to replace the Monarch of England. When a country is not ruled by a hereditary monarchy, it becomes a republic whose head of the country is elected. Our Parliamentary system is a replica of British Parliamentary system except the monarch.  

In a monarchy, the king or queen is the head of the state and as such the monarch becomes the symbol of unity in the country also the fountain-head of justice. Though monarchy was abolished in Europe after the French Revolution (1789) by most of the countries, there was a revival of monarchy after the World Wars. Many countries in Europe (Spain, Portugal, Dutch, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden etc) revived monarchy as head of the state for life. These are the countries where the head of the state is for life and the monarch doesn’t need the support of the government in power or the opposition or politicians for his/ her continuance. They are above  politics. They perform their functions according to the Constitution in letter and spirit besides following well established customs, conventions, precedences and usages.  

In the case of India, our President is elected (indirectly) and he or she is not above politics. History has shown whichever party or alliance commands the majority in both Houses of Parliament and in the State Legislatures get their candidate through as President. As a Republic (no hereditary rule) and as a country with multi-party system with so many regional parties, it is good to have a contest. The framers of the Constitution have spelt out elaborately the election process and an elec toral college is formed to elect the President.  

Except for one or two (may be Dr Abdul Kalam and Educationist and Philosopher Saravapalli Radhakrishnan), all others in the past were politicians. His oath of office tells clearly his function is ‘to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution’. Having taken an oath to this effect, anyone from any party or outside the party can become the President of India. If the person violates the oath of office, that person can be impeached for ‘violation of the Constitution’. Let’s have faith in the  Constitution, electoral process and democracy.