Dimapur, August 1 (EMN): A day after the 36 NPF legislators gave an ultimatum to the current president to resign within 15 days and instead elected Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio as interim president of the NPF, the party organisation under Shurhozelie Liezietsu also went into active mode with a variety of measures being undertaken as of today.
Along with the usual rebuttal meant for the media the NPF has also initiated a 15 day calling notice that ends on August 5 for the MLAs who, it states, went against the whip during the floor test on July 21.
The case of who is the legal chief whip, whether Kiyanelie Peseyie or TR Zeliang, is still pending in the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court to be heard during the last week of August.
The Media and Press Bureau of the NPF in their reply to the legislatoirs stated that the party constitution clearly defines the procedure for the election President of the party and that the legislators are in no way empowered to elect one by themselves.
” This is to remind the Honourable legislators that the NPF Constitution clearly specifies about election of Central Office Bearers including the President of the party. Article IV, section 5 of the Constitution of the party specifies the procedure to be followed and nowhere in the Constitution has it empowered the legislators of the party to act on their whims and fancies,” the press release stated.
The press release also stated that, “The attention of the Naga People’s Front has been drawn to a news item which appeared in the local media wherein it was reported that the expelled and suspended NPF legislators along with a few NPF legislators have served a 15-day ultimatum to the Party President to step down, and selection of Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio as ‘interim NPF President’ empowering him with all sorts of ridiculous so-called prerogatives.
Following the Constitution of the party in letter and spirit, the present President of the Party Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu and his team of Central Office Bearers have been elected for a period of 5 years in November 2014.
And as directed by the Election Commission of India in March 2015, an Emergent General Convention of the party was held on April 30, 2015 where the tenure of the present team of Office Bearers was reiterated by a show of hands, and the results along with videographic proof duly sent to the ECI which approved the same.
The State Banquet Hall is no place to elect or appoint party President or party functionaries. Moreover, there is no provision or even mention of any post in the party Constitution going by the moniker ‘interim President’, and it is quite possible that the legislators are confused with the ephemeral Presidentship held by a respected but misguided party leader during the 2015 crisis.
We have seen how transient the post of party President can be when he is appointed by the party legislators without following any rules or norms, and we do not have an iota of doubt that Mr Rio would go down the annals of Naga political history as another self-styled President of an imaginary political party.”
The press release also alleged the hand of Neiphiu Rio on the launch of the DPP according to what it stated as documents circulating in social media.
“A hand-written document appended by 13 NPF functionaries including one Lirimong, PA to MLA Torechu, who have, on July 10 last, sworn their allegiance to Democratic Progressive Party ‘under the able and dynamic leadership of Shri Chingwang Konyak, President, DPP Nagaland and Shri Neiphiu Rio, Hon’ble MP Nagaland who rescued ‘!”
The press release also stated that it was party President Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu who rescued former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in 2004 when “majority of the party’s legislators revolted against him and bayed for his blood.”
“This was repeated in 2015 when the Rio-led majority of NPF legislators tried every means to topple TR Zeliang, but could not achieve their diabolical plan because of the unflinching support extended to TR Zeliang by party President Dr Shurhozelie. Again, when the Naga society was facing one of the worst crisis ever when there seemed to be total breakdown of law and order and an almost anarchy-like situation gripped the entire State in January-February this year, these honourable MLAs who are calling Dr Shurhozelie as a ‘fraud’ now, furtively went to Dr Shurhozelie on February 15 night and begged, beseeched, pled and almost sobbed themselves silly asking him to take over as the Chief Minister to save the party and the party-led DAN Government, ” it further added
It also stated that inspite of the actions of the legislators the party rank and file of the NPF are “steadfast” behind the party President and “most willing to forego material gains offered by legislators to part ways with the party. The NPF party is rejuvenated and takes comfort in the fact that party men and women are loyal to the political party they belong to and are not being swayed by promises of monetary benefits extended by unprincipled and shameless legislators.”
It also thanked the loyalty of party workers during the crisis and urged them to maintain their “unwavering stand since truth and justice will ultimately prevail.”
However, the majority of the legislators including the chief minister choosing MP Neiphiu Rio who is the tallest leader and personality that the party produced over the years has undoubtedly ruffled the feathers of the party organisation.
The party has called for emergency meetings of the Central Office Bearers and also the meeting of the other frontal organisations of the party on August 2, which looks as an attempt to keep the flock together with a bigger crisis looming large.
