The persistent weakness of prime ministerial leadership in India begs the question of whether it would be better off with presidential government. Does the latter offer a better solution to the chaotic spectrum of splinter parties, the debilitating hold of caste politics and the cancer of corruption? The answers are relevant and of interest to many other countries.
In a parliamentary system, the government is headed by a prime minister who is leader of the party or coalition commanding a majority in the legislature. A presidential system separates the executive from the legislature and places a directly elected president at the head of the executive branch.
The desire for presidential government among some Indians betrays a frustration with the lack of authority and stability in New Delhi and the weakening of the central government under challenge from states. Cabinet government produces policy drift and incoherence. A presidential government, proponents believe, would help to restore order to a troubled country, dilute the corruption of the political system and accelerate the pace of the country's development.