Sharmila’s party candidates to sign accountability affidavits

Imphal, Feb. 23: The Peoples’ Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA), a political party co-founded by Manipur’s iconic rights activist Irom Chanu Sharmila becomes the first political party in Manipur’s electoral politics to require its candidates to sign an affidavit to be transparent and accountable for all local area development funds. In failing to do so, they are to resign.
The PRJA, which was co-founded by Sharmila after ending her 15-year fast on August 9 last year, has fielded only three candidates: Erendro in Thangmeiband, Sharmila in Thoubal and Najima Bibi in Wabagai constituencies for the Manipur polls scheduled for March 4 and the 8th.
After releasing its 10-point election manifesto during a simple function in Imphal on Thursday, the three candidates signed an affidavit to be transparent and accountable for all local area development funds in Imphal.
With Irom Sharmila as its strength, the manifesto promises to repeal the AFSPA, establishing Lokayukta, and anti-corruption bureaus and redrafting Inner Line Permit Bills to ensure rights of all stakeholders besides developing a self-sustainable economy. The manifesto also focuses on a slew of measures for development of a self-reliant economy and to amend the “Manipuri Official Language Act 1979” to replace “Bengali Script” with an indigenous script as an official script through public consultation and consensus building among all ethnic groups.
Speaking to reporters, Erendro Leichombam, the convenor of the PRJA claimed that if any one of them were to be elected, ‘We’ll initiate a resolution on AFSPA in the assembly as none of the legislators had moved a resolution so far.’ Ninety per cent of the population in Manipur wants the AFSPA to go as per a survey. He alleged that the Manipur legislators were ‘not powerful enough to act on it.’
“So we’ve to make a political will. We can fight for it if we are together,” Erendro is contesting on the PRJA ticket from Thangmeiband constituency in Imphal where the Congress and Bharatiya Janata (BJP) had been fighting since the last two assembly polls.
Reacting to a question on why she was contesting from Thoubal seat against the state Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh but not from her Khurai seat in Imphal East district, Co-convener Irom Sharmila of the PRJA said, “I wanted to see the real feeling of the people in the constituency.”
“But to win or lose in the election is at the hands of the general public. But we should start a beginning from ourselves first,” she opined.
The PRJA party maintains that even if only one of them wins, they will be the voice of the Manipuri people in the assembly and raise their issues.
Interestingly, none of the three candidates are taking security escorts like other candidates for the elections.