Kohima, Jan. 5: Another 84 intending candidates from 11 town councils filed their nomination papers for the urban local bodies’ elections today, making it 155 candidates as of the day 3 of filing nominations.
As per Thursday’s report from the State Election Commission, Dimapur Town Council registered the highest number with 29 candidates, followed by Wokha Town Council with another 17 candidates today.
However, Wokha Town Council tops the overall list with 30 candidates. Mention be made that 13 candidates from Wokha had filed their nomination papers yesterday.
Despite the strong opposition from the ENPO on women reservation, 23 candidates from the Eastern Naga areas also filed their nomination papers today.
Out of the 23 candidates, nine were from Naginimora Town Council, another nine from Tizit Town Council, three from Longleng Town Council and two from Shamator Town Council.
Peren district has also joined the list of nomination as seven candidates, including six from Jalukie Town Council and one from Peren Town Council, filed their nomination papers.
Four more candidates under Phek Town Council have also filed their nomination papers today, joining the other 13 candidates who filed on January 3 last. Another candidate under East Dimapur Town Council had also filed, joining the other 10 candidates.
Tseminyu Town Council also registered itself in the list as three candidates have done the same. Out of the 155 candidates who have filed the nomination papers, 17 were women candidates.
Meanwhile, the Angami Public Organisation (APO) held a consultative meeting this evening with the all intending candidates for the Kohima Municipal Council and also the other Angami candidates from other districts.
Around 18 intending candidates including some from Medziphema sub-division, attended the meeting, which lasted for almost two hours.
The APO has made its stand clear that while it held no malice nor does it have any intention to suppress women’s rights, it stands to safeguard natural, customary and traditional rights.
As such, the APO has requested those who have filed their nominations to withdraw the same immediately.
The organisation asserted that it opposes “this divisive policy of the government to sabotage and derail the Article 371 (A) of the Indian Constitution which produced the Nagaland State through the 16 Point Agreement in 1960”.
“Subsequently, through the empowerment contained in Article 371 (A) some of our most vital inalienable rights were protected. We stand committed to safeguard the protection of our natural, customary and traditional right which was brought through the sweat of our brow shedding blood and tears decades upon decades,” stated the APO release.
NTC
The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has once again lambasted the state government over the turn of events in connection with municipal elections. “The state government had conveniently neglected the first spark, when it was sounded in the form of opposition to taxation on land and building,” an NTC press statement on Thursday read.
“The decision to hold election amidst strong people’s opposition is an ‘imposition’ which will never carry the people’s mandate. A war like preparation to suppress the people’s voice is seen all round. The readiness to suppress the people with baton, tear gas, water cannon, etc. is nothing but self defeating. Never in the history went unpunished those rulers who brutalized its own people.
“Women reservation is against our time tested custom and tradition. That if introduced in our society will infringe the Article 371 A of the constitution whereby the Nagas of Nagaland are provided with full guarantee to govern as per our custom and tradition. Therefore to uphold our custom is our birth right and also the constitutional obligation,” it stated.
According to the NTC, the best option for the government to end this crisis was to review the ‘erroneous insertion of 33% women reservation’ and conduct fresh election without reservation.
In a separate press release, the Dimapur District GB Association has ‘strongly opposed the 33% women’s reservation and ongoing civic polls.’ “As a custodian of customary Law and practice, any process that is to affect article 371 (A) and our Naga customs and traditions shall not be tolerated...The DDGBA will not allow 1998 general election system to repeat again,” stated a press release.
The Sumi Hoho on Thursday held an emergency meeting at Zunheboto and decided to boycott the municipal elections.
The ‘senior citizens of Noklak town’, it was informed through a press release, on Wednesday last decided to allow the conduct of Noklak town council elections.
In Dimapur, the Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) held a meeting on Thursday in which it was decided that it would form a Joint Action Committee with representatives from Ao Senso Telongjem Dimapur, Lotha Hoho Dimapur and Western Sumi Hoho.
According to CNTC sources, the JAC has been directed to persuade members of the three tribes who have filed nominations to withdraw the same.
Our Wokha Correspondent reported that the number of candidates to file nominations in the district reached 30 on Thursday. Out of the 30 nominations, 11 are from women candidates – 10 with NPF tickets and the remaining 2, independent. Quite curiously, Amongyi Tsanglai would be contesting outside the reservation quota from Ward 10.
From Kiphire, our Correspondent reported that in the aftermath of the ENPO decision to leave to its members to decide on the conduct of civic polls, the USLB along with Eastern Sumi Hoho and Tikhir Tribal Council has decided to boycott said elections.
They also prevented interested candidates from filing their nominations on Thursday. According to the vice president of USLB, the cabinet decision on the provisions of the Municipal Act was ‘not satisfactory’.
Dr Tino, ADC of Kiphire told our Correspondent that the district administration was prepared to go ahead with the process of the civic polls but due to the boycott by the tribe hohos, no candidate came to file their nomination papers. The ADC also informed that 33 nomination papers have been issued so far.
In Mokokchung it was reported that the Ao Senden, during its meeting on Thursday, decided to summon the candidates who have filed nomination papers at Tuli town. They have been directed to come to the Ao Senden office on Friday at 10 am. According to Tuli ADC, there was no report of withdrawal of nomination from the candidates.
With just two days left for filing of nominations to the upcoming urban local bodies (ULB) elections scheduled on February 1 next, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) official on Thursday told Eastern Mirror that the party was yet to announce the final list of candidates to file for nomination as they were still in the process of taking stock of the situation across the state.
With opposition from tribal organisations to hold ULB elections across the state with 33% women reservation, an NPCC official said ‘the party do not want to hurt the sentiments of the people and for the said reason we are waiting to announce and confirm on the candidates’.
However contradicting the NPCC manifesto for ULB election 2017 that was launched on December 27 last year at Congress Bhavan Dimapur, in a press note issued by the District Congress Committee Dimapur today, the party stated that after a series of deliberation, it had decided to wait till the last day for filing of nomination from the respective wards.s
At the launch of NPCC manifesto for ULB election 2017, the NPCC president had remarked that ‘dragging 33% reservation into Nagaland Assembly Resolution was uncalled for since the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 was in force’, and the party voiced support for 33% women reservation asserting ‘women represent 50% of the society and have a significant role in bringing a decent society’.
The party convened a meeting on Thursday and discussed at length to field candidates from the respective wards under Dimapur Municipal Council. The DCC Dimapur along with a host of senior party leaders also discussed the growing opposition to the ULB election by various tribe organizations and adopted two resolutions in the meeting:
• The District Congress Committee Dimapur fully supports the call of the Naga Hoho, NGO’S and Civil Societies stiff opposition to hold ULB election which infringes the right and interest of the Nagas as provided under Article 371A of the Indian constitution.
• However, if the government proceeds with their decision on the upcoming ULB election, the District Congress Committee Dimapur will not remain a mute spectator but will also field candidates in their respective wards.
On the third day of filing for nominations, Dimapur received 29 nominations that include nine women candidates, 24 from NPF party and five Independent candidates.
Interestingly, the NPF has issued two tickets for the same ward under DMC ward 22 to Pukhavi Yepthomi and Hokuto Zhimomi. In a press note, the Veterinary Council and public have expressed surprised over the distribution of NPF ticket to two persons from the same ward.
The veterinary council has demanded for tight security to avoid volatile situation as both the candidates ‘are close neighbours’ while terming it ‘complex issue’.
They further sought clarification from the NPF as to why both the candidates were issued with Party tickets. It also maintained that the Veterinary Colony Council would not take any risk but the NPF higher authority would be blamed for any untoward incidents.
