Should a foreigner by birth Sonia Gandhi be allowed to hold the highest office in the parliament?

First, I need to point out to Brinlarr that government in a parlimenatary system is not the same as it is in a triune branch goverment such as the US. In the US the President is both Head of State AND Chief Excutive with real powers. But the President is NOT a member of the legislature. In Parlimentary system such as India, the President is cerimonal Head of State and has duties representing or standing in for the entire nation of India, not unlike Col. Sander's representing KFC. The Col. did not control KFC, but acted as the official "face" of KFC. The highest Office in Parliament is the Prime Minister. He/she is India's Chief Excutive, and holds the real power of the Excutive part of government called the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Cabinet_Minist... Ministries. Like the US President he/she holds the finger over the nuclear button. Unlike the US President however, the Prime Minister, is also a member of the legislature, and during elections actually runs for his/her local seat as any other MP would. Prime Ministers are not elected directly by the nation, but come into power only if their party wins control of the legislature, as the head of their party. So in India your political party is either "in" or "out". Unlike in the US Federal Government where it is very common for one party to hold the Excutive and the other to hold the Legislative, The Indian PM always controls BOTH, and actually holds relatively more power than the US President does because he/she legislates and sets the budget AND executes India's laws, programs, and projects. That is why who runs India is such a big deal.

That brings us the issues of Sonia Gandi.

Now for the controversy: Ms. Gandi's public first name Sonia is not her legal name under Indian (or Italian law). Her real name is Edvige Antonia Albina Gandhi-Maino. She was given her first middle name in honor of Italian St. Antonia. She was born to a family of wealth and power, her father Stephano AKA Eugenio Maino was a fanatical Fascist war contractor who venerated da Duce and was (then) an Italian war hero who fought as an officer with an elite German Waffen-SS unit though the most savage fighting during WWII at the Russian Western Front. He returned and was so impressed by the heroism of his enemy he gave all three of his pretty daughters Russian nick names: Nadia, Sonia, and Anushka. He was authoritarian and she was free-spirited. As a result she got more spankings than her other siblings combined. Sonia grew up in a rundown subburb of Milan. She had the life expected of a good Italian girl: church, confirmation, communion. She attended nun-run Church schools looking just like the Catholic schoolgirl she was. Sister Domenica her teacher said she was full of energy, but scholasticaly, did only enough to get by. "What mattered to her most, above all, was having a good time".

As a teenager she went to study English at The Bell Educational Trust's language school in the City of Cambridge. While doing this certificate course she met Rajiv Gandhi son of the Indian Prime Minister Indra Gandi attending Trinity College at the University of Cambridge, they fell in love. He and she both wanted to marry immediately but there was a problem, Sonia was still a minor and below age of consent by Italian law. She could only get married if her father gave legal consent. Eugenio who dispised non-Italians, especially Non-RC foreigners, refused. Indra also disapproved her son wanting to marry someone that was not only of the family's caste and status, was not an Indian at all. Furthermore, Indria had made her own arrangements for Rajiv that involved securing key political and financial behind the scenes alignments. Dispite all the authority figures in their lives being againist it, Sonia and Rajiv got married anyway on the day she turned 21. Their families the Marino's and the Gandi's did not attend the wedding. They were not invited. Sonia that day sent her father a spiteful letter to let him know that he could no longer tell her what to do. Rajiv informed his mother that she had a new daughter in-law and she had better get used to the idea since they were moving in. To Indria's credit she set aside her objections and allowed the young couple to live under her roof. And they were happy, Rajiv was able fullfill his dream and became a jet pilot, Sonia child bearing and raising children.

After Indria was assinated in 1984, Rajiv became the new Prime Minister and Sonia legally became an Indian Citizen. Rajiv in 1991 was found to be involved with (surprize!) an Italian by the name of Mr. Quattrocchi in what is now called the Bofors Scandal. It was the most massive government corruption case in Indian national history, which is really saying something. How did this Italian make the inside contacts to gain unrestricted entry into the Prime Minister's official residence to do his dirty work? Lets think about this...Is there any Italians living in the Prime Minister's residence? Shortly after questions like this were raised by a newpaper reporter by the name of Mr. Subramaniam, Rajiv himself was assinated. Sonia was investigated but never formally charged in regards to the case. In Italy, Ms. Gandi's neighbors and the poor Sisters who taught her, who knew her growing up, suspect it was she that was the true mastermind of the scandal. Interestingly they have a much higher opinion of Rajiv. Friends that knew Rajiv and Sonia both well say that she was the manipulator of the two and that on his own Rajiv was unlikely to get involved. Since the Indian High Court basically stopped the investigation about the same time as Ms. Gandi's sucessful 2004 election, we may never know for sure...

After seven years of badgering by the INC in 1998 dispite never before serving in public office and with just a High School education, she ran for Parliament. She won and immediately became Chair of the INC.

She is currently the leader of the INC, the party of the Nehru/Gandi dynasty, she IS NOT however the PM. In the elections of 2004 she campaigned hard on behalf of the Aam Aadmi (Ordinary people) and surprised both India and world with a come from behind win, bringing the INC to power, as head of the INC, she was automatically to be the new PM. However the election's loser, the NDA raised xenophobic (she was foreign born), racist (not of Indian racial stock) and unmerited legal (citizenship) challenges to prevent Ms. Gandi's taking office. In desperation, opposition leader Ms. Swaraj even swore to be shaved bald if that happened. Interestly, this tactic worked. The day before Ms. Gandhi was to be inaugurated, she recommended an economist with no political ambitions Dr. Singh to the position instead. She retained the posts of Lok Sabha Majority Leader and Chair of the INP. This left her with the thankless job of dealing with the political fire fights in the coalition, but no real executive legal powers. She was praised in the media for her appearently selfless act, but the NDA claimed it was just another political move to gain an absolute majority for the INC in Parliament, after which she would rule in total control as Prime Minister. The actual political future for Ms. Gandhi right now to a large extent lies with Ms. Gandhi herself.

She was he was the Chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in the Lok Sabha (equilient to the UK House of Commons in Parliment) and Chair of the National Advisory Council (NAC) but she resigned both posts last year because of a politically (NLA) trumped up controversy involving of all things, a very twisted interpretation without presidence that she profited from positions she held on a purely volenteer non-paid advisory basis. It was so badly handled that Ms. Gandi actually gained a higher standing with the national electorate, as well as a reelection landslide victory for her own seat of Rae Bareilly less than 60 days later. She was returned to her party and parliamentary posts but not to the NAC to block any further NLA actions related to it.

Unlike in the US, there is no legal prohibitions for a foregn born Indian citizen to hold office as PM. Also, unlike the US, there are no special requirements to be the Chief Excutive in the Indian Constitution beyond the basics to be an MP. I would say if the people of India did not want a foregn-born PM, parlament should amend the Indian Costitution. Its not like the opposition party while in control couldn't see this coming or didn't have its chance.

It is clear that Ms. Gandhi may be the best politican in the entire line of the fabled Nehru/Gandi dynasty. While she is clearly capable of running national politics, this is not the same thing a running a huge nation goverment, nuclear armed military, and an ethnically torn people. The US itself has had many examples of excellent politicans but poor Presidents...Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton come to mind...

I do get the sense that India's government has massive corruption problems, but in comparison to say Russia where the government and business work together and are largely the same thing as a very large orgainized crime outfit, India (and Ms. Gandhi) still look pretty good. At least in India, the goverment's idea of censorship does not include simply killing off journalists who asks inconvenant questions or looks too closely at convenant truths. I don't get the sence that Ms. Gandhi if she ever accepts being PM is going change much in that department. But then again Ms. Gandhi is likely to have more surprises for the people of India. I just hope they are good ones.

Let us keep the swadeshi movement confined only to industries and not apply it to politics. The Indian polity will only be enriched if diverse people participate and contribute new ideas. But this remains only true as long as these people have India's progress and welfare as their highest goal. Sonia Gandhi in her career has done nothing to show that she is pursuing her own interests by joining politics. She also has shown sound understanding if the Indian political scene during her leadership of the Congress party, so I see no reason for her not being allowed to become the Prime Minister of India.

Yes, you are correct. People have a soft corner for sonia., that is perhaps she is the wife of our great lengendary leader Rajiv Gandhi. When thinking about Sonia, one must think that the people who praise Sonia just they dont liked her to become a cogress prez at earlier time when rajiv was killed. Everyone had only empathy for Rajiv.

When looking on Sonia's profile Indian politics do not turn down foreign orgins to conquer top most positions, but they really dont like it ! A friend above wrote that she has become fully Indian. Who knows after getting into power she will be another rabri or jaya..

First we must understand that she never liked to join Congress.

Any leader who is fanatic on his country and worked a lot for his nation has the absolute chance to take the positions. leave behind corruptions ......

Think if Sonia becomes a cabinet minister or PM/Prez. it is acceptable to Indians as a whole. even a hardcore hindutva vadi would accept it finally.

But When sonia interrogates with foreign nationals on international deeds and delegation, the opponent minister look her only as an ITALIAN and not an Indian; even though she can be the supreme power

There is a floating population of 100 crores of people in India, there can be true patriots to an extent who knows how to govern the country. So can we make a foreigner on a top position just that one is good?

Finally, the tail piece: the truth

It is a fact which i read in the newspaper owing to this issue

No Indian can ever contest a ward counsellor seat in ITALY !

It is time for us to think Practically, Please leave behing Pseudo-Secularism ! There can be lot of good people in country other than SONIA GANDHI

If every individual citizen thinks rationally like you & not get carried away by political sentiments, India could have been far ahead in a cohesive Social development and could be less exploited by the so called G7 economies.Let someone/ the person who suports such notions try to become a PM or a political head in a foreign country.....the law should categorically prohibit & the people of

India should not lose their integrity on such issues.

Why shouldn't Sonia Gandhi do the job?

I will agree with your comments if you can provide me a proper answer for the following:

1. Can you give me a list of atleast 5 india-born politicians who are corrupt-free?

2. Can you tell me one indian political party that is actually working for the welfare of the people?

If a foreigner is able to do a job which no indian politician does not do, then let us welcome it!

Sonia Gandhi has been fully "indianized". Unless there emerges another person of Indian origin who can carry bulk of the partymen, who ultimately choose their leader...such aberration will stay in our country.

Anyway, she is not holding the office you have mentioned.

Patriotism is oxymoron and obsolete in the current world.

Everybody with compassion should be encouraged.

Finally, I'd say Sonia is not as "desperate" as rest of the politicians in India.

Indians are known for centuries, for hospitality, warm friendly responses to all alike, global thinking, tolerance etc.: let us think with broad mindedness about qualities of leadership that we are looking for! Then the answer will emerge!

till the time she's working nicely n is not corrupted she should be given the highest post even if she's a foreigner.

your ignorant, teh highest post is president not prime minister

Why not.. Nothing wrong.