TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Barely a month before the Goa assembly election, Goa Assembly Speaker Pratapsingh Rane dismissed the disqualification petition filed by Francisco Xavier (Mickky) Pacheco against PWD Minister Churchill Alemao and Reginaldo Lourenco on Friday.
Churchill, had left the Congress in 2006 and started the Save Goa Front party. He returned to the Congress claiming that he has merged Save Goa Front party with Congress.
Pacheco had filed the disqualification petition on grounds that Churchill and Reginaldo have voluntarily given up the membership of the Save Goa Front and that they had defied the directives of the SGF in the matter of extension of support to the Digambar Kamat Ministry.
After the hearing at assembly complex Porvorim on Friday, Rane told reporters that the petition has been dismissed as Pacheco’s petition had no grounds.
“This is in relation to the constitution para 4 (2) of the 10th schedule which clearly states that the 2/3rd of the party members can decide on whether to merge, join or form a new party,” Rane said adding “in this case I have found that 2/3rd of the members have given their consent to merge SGF into Congress.”
Asked why was the case delayed so much as the case was filed by Mickky in October 2008, the Speaker replied, “well, there are several things we need to keep in mind, there were hearings, arguments and so on and we gave everyone a chance to put forth their views.”
The Speaker has also dismissed a revision petition filed by Pacheco in May 2011. Pacheco in his petition said that the notification from the EC clearly notified that the Save Goa Front party was a recognised party, having Aeroplane as its reserved symbol.
“The petition is not allowed as there were procedural lapses,” he said.
Interestingly, Mickky in November 2008, had sought to drop the disqualification petition saying that he does not desire to lead evidence or proceed further with the disqualification petition.
Pacheco had prayed to the Speaker Pratapsingh Rane to allow him to withdraw the petition and pass necessary orders to that effect.
However, the speaker did not allow this too as he said “once a petition is admitted it is the property of the House and he cannot decide arbitrarily.”
Emerging out of the Speaker’s cabin on Friday, Adv Valanka Alemao, who was the counsel for Churchill, said “the petition had no grounds and should have been dismissed long back.”
Churchill and Reginaldo said they were happy that the case is thrown out but did not wish to say much.
