The CPI(M) on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the appointment of election commissioners and said it is a step in the right direction to ensure the independence of the poll body.
In a seminal verdict, the apex court ruled that the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners (EC) will be done by the President on the recommendation of a committee, comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India, to maintain the "purity of election".
A five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice K M Joseph, in a unanimous verdict, also said the "unrelenting abuse" of the electoral process over a period of time is the "surest way to the grave of democracy".
In a statement, the Left party said, "This is a step forward in the direction of strengthening the independent authority and functioning of the Election Commission which alone is mandated to conduct a free and fair election under Article 324 of the Constitution.”
The party said it had always advocated that the appointment of the Election Commission should be on the lines of what the Parliament enacted regarding the appointment of the CBI director, the Lokpal, among others, in a transparent and democratic manner.