The New UFA!

“Utopia for All” (UFA) was inaugurated by its new President on January 20, 2025. As he rightly observed it was indeed a great achievement.

After all the turbulence during 2017/20, the President who took office in ’21 kept his word. Immediately after his election he nominated the New Constitution Commission (NCC) consisting of ONLY persons known for their intellectual honesty and non-partisan attitude. The Commission was assisted by various sub-groups consisting of younger generation well known in different fields.

The sub-groups held their own meetings earlier and drafted some questions, elaborately explaining present conditions in fields associated with them. The response received was widely publicized in media and discussed at smaller meetings. Finally pointed questions were framed asking people to respond in a format such that answers could specifically be weighted from most popular to most unpopular. They were also further categorized under different groups by age, gender, education, ethnicity, etc. These results were also widely notified.

NCC held its own hearings on different subjects, after co-opting heads of related sub-groups and others whom it considered will help the Commission in its deliberations. The Commission had a tough time in selecting persons to co-opt, because it was specifically asked NOT to include all lawyers, media and lobbyists and also those might have some association with the subject in self interest.

The final findings of the Commission, after all these discussions and consultations, were published in the form of a draft Constitution of UFA for adoption by the people in USA who were all either its citizens (including those residing abroad) and residents in the USA at that for a specified period as decided by the NCC. No one fulfilling these conditions was excluded from voting.

Votes were to be cast electronically with previously allotted ID numbers from the same electronic device from which an application to vote was made on condition that anyone NOT voting will forfeit voting right in future occasions, unless and until it was reinstated. This draconian condition was one of the many such conditions to ensure people’s participation in future whenever the government needed people’s concurrence.

One more instance of mandatory people’s acceptance by majority was ALL legislations passed by the Assembly of Representatives of People (ARP). Under the Constitution of UFA, ARP replaced both the legislative wings of the USA. The President was also authorized to ask and get the acceptance of people for orders issued by him at his discretion.

The membership of ARP was also revised. While each State had the right to elect two of its representatives who should be residents of that State for a specified period, while one will be voted ONLY by those residing in that State, the other will be voted by ALL citizens eligible to vote. This was to ensure equal representation for all the States in ARP and at the same time ARP remained an institution truly belonging to the whole of UFA, eliminating groupism.

Permanent Committees were abolished as a feature of ARP to interact between RPs (as the Representatives representing people were known) and ARP. Whenever any bill was introduced, the Chairman of ARP constituted a Committee to consider and submit its recommendation on the bill to ARP, headed by the Member introducing the bill. The list of RPs who wanted to be its members was put to vote and the first 4 or more members receiving the largest number of votes, became its other members.

Any member could introduce any bill on any subject. The President was bound to introduce the Bill on Budget and other matters of national importance as may be specified by NCC. Committees constituted for consideration of bills brought forward by government will be headed the Secretary of the Government concerned with the bill, who will NOT have any voting right while the bill is being considered by the Committee. Its members will be nominated as is done in case of other committees.

Whenever a bill is referred to a Committee after its constitution as mentioned above, ARP will also fix a time limit for its consideration and recommendations. The maximum number of Committees a member can be a part of, will be not more than 6.

The Government will have the right to nominate a public representative in all the Committees, besides nominating more members wherever the minimum numbers of representatives are not forthcoming or are not available. All such proposals will be voted on by the Assembly.

All Representatives of People, will be asked strictly to refrain from calling themselves as “representing any party”. They will refer to themselves and also other RPs only as RPs. All parties will also refer to any RP they support only as RP and will NOT refer to any RP as its representative. They and media may however state they support that particular RP. This requirement will be made a part of criminal law and very strictly observed under dire punishment for violation. It is expected that people will agree to this provision as those ARP members represent all people and not any particular party. It is also to ensure that parties do NOT claim ownership of bills that might be brought forward for the good of all people by any member of ARP and any bill brought before the Assembly can be supported by any Member of ARP independent of party affiliation. This provision was expected to receive wide support as it will mean Representatives will truly represent all people.

Before elections become due, State High Courts and the Supreme Court will form a small Committee of its own judges assisted by, if necessary, retired judges and other State and National Election Commission, to dispose of any petition placed before them quickly. They will also have the power to suo moto issue orders to any person or body association in any way in the conduct of elections in all its aspects, including but not limited to, collection of funds for fighting election including donations, advertisements, media excesses, public behavior of candidates and their supporters, and any other matter concerning conduct of any election. Their decisions will be final unless appealed and disposed off by the Supreme Court within a specified time not exceeding a week, for which SC will also form its own small bench.   

I wish all this could be real! I will then be reborn again in that Utopia and who will not wish to migrate to that great Heaven on Earth!