‘Rio has proven track record to be the party president’

Dimapur August 8 (EMN): The legislature wing of the NPF party led by Chief Minister TR Zeliang on Tuesday alleged that the autocratic way of functioning by party president and former chief minister Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu compelled the party to select the sitting MP Lok Sabha and former chief minister Niephiu Rio who has a proven track record as the interim president of the party.
“The people of Nagaland deserve a Government that can deliver pragmatic, realistic economic and developmental progress, and transparent governance to fulfil the desires and wishes of the people, and this can be possible only through acceptable and able leadership, for which our tall leader with a proven track record, a three consecutive term, dynamic and visionary Chief Minister and presently the sitting Nagaland State’s lone Hon’ble Member, Lok Sabha Mr. Neiphiu Rio, whose leadership resurrected the defunct regional party (then NPC), rechristened it as Naga People’s Front (NPF), groomed and raised it to the present stature is the answer.
The people’s yearning and demand for an accommodative and sincere leadership and, further to it, with more than two third majority of the NPF Legislators having unanimously chosen him has thus, compelled Mr. Neiphiu Rio to accept and take over the reins of the party as the interim NPF President, ” stated the press release from the party.
Recounting the contributions made by the interim president to the NPF party over the years it stated that after years of struggle and hardship, the NPF party that was almost none existent till then could take over the reins of power “through people’s mandate in 2003”, and thus formed the NPF led DAN-l government followed by the DAN-ll in 2008.
Subsequently in 2013 the overwhelming mandate of the people produced 38 MLAs from the NPF alone.
In the earlier two terms of the state government that were led by Neiphiu Rio as the chief minister, he had displayed an “excellent quality of leadership” by providing “stability” and ensured “disciplined management” of the party affairs while “taking the welfare of the people into the path of progress.”
However, on Rio’s departure from state politics it alleged that there has been a “marked mismanagement” in the party led state government as well as in the affairs of the party under the stewardship of Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu as the President of the party (NPF).
“There were no person to check and balance the arbitrary behaviour of the erstwhile President. Noticeably, he started behaving in an arbitrary manner by adopting partisan and monopolistic policies in running not only the affairs of the party but also interfering in functioning of the Government with the association of very few selected courtiers in utter disregard to the democratic practices of participative approaches giving due regard to the norms and practices of the party,” it stated.
It however stated that over the years the party leaders and functionaries were “utterly exhausted, pained and provoked by the continuous, disorderly handling of the party function and administration,” which it alleged was just to “serve the narrow and vested interests of a select few individuals of the party power that be,” leading to “unconstitutional suspensions” and expulsions of party workers, organizational leaders including legislators.
The “autocratic and dictatorial” functioning of the party leadership had created a “pathetic atmosphere” within the NPF losing its “hard earned, venerable regional stature and credentials in the eye of the citizens”, it stated.
The need for “immediate damage control” therefore became imperative at such a juncture faced by the party.
It also alleged that that “pretentious call for reconciliation” and the severing of ties with the BJP revealing their “hidden animosity” towards the BJP over only indicated their double standards.
“Dr Shurhozelie and his followers should be congratulated for confessing to the people of Nagaland that they used the BJP MLAs to further their own vested interests of remaining in power at any cost,” it stated.
It also stated that despite the party principle of ‘One Man One Post’, Dr. Shurhozelie has over the years continued to hold dual posts of party president as well as a cabinet minister and recently, party president and chief minister and “began to treat the party as his personal property.”
“This tendency did not end there. He even attempted to convert the Chief Minister’s office into a private nursery by appointing his son as Adviser to Chief Minister (Cabinet Status with equivalent pay and perks) with the MTF portfolio; the irony being that both father and son were not even elected members of the NLA at the time, and despite having 59 lawfully elected Members, nepotism was flourishing in the State’s highest political office,” it stated.
“The party loyalists who elected the NPF led DAN under Rio’s leadership to power by their sacred mandate for three consecutive elections, including the general public cannot be taken for a ride,” the press release stated.
It stated that the people are the actual stakeholders of the NPF and at the same time the people are the assets and strength of the “grand old regional political party”.
It therefore appealed that the current “crucial and difficult moment” is only aimed at “change for the better” and needs to be understood by all the NPF functionaries.
“The people’s mandate given to Naga People’s Front (NPF) through their franchise and the hard work and contributions of the party workers and leaders at different levels and different regions is well within the memory of the party with sincere appreciation. The NPF shall put in the best possible efforts to understand the needs of the people at the grass root level,” it further stated.