[caption id="attachment_145245" align="alignleft" width="300"]
NPF spokesperson, Achumbemo Kikon speaking at the inauguration of the NPF's 9th Kohima town AC office on Thursday.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 19 (EMN): A day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a directive to the rival Naga Peoples Front (NPF) groups to settle their dispute internally, NPF spokesperson Achumbemo Kikon on Oct. 19 has asserted that the party on Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu's side had ‘won the battle.’
“We have already won the battle 99.9 percent. Now we just have to complete formalities and submit to the ECI,” Kikon said.
Speaking at the inauguration of the NPF's 9th Kohima Town assembly constituency (AC) office at PR Hill in Kohima, Kikon stated that the Oct. 17 ECI order indicated that “the writing on the wall is clear”, that the commission had rejected the general convention of the ‘Hotel Legacy group’ which was held on Sep. 20. He pointed out that the NPF party was formed on the basis that it would represent the aspirations of the Naga people and the party had 'not deviated from that principle.'
However, he said, there has been some people who joined the party and abused the party for their selfish gains, which was why the party is facing the current crisis. He termed it a repeat of the 2015 “Sovima crisis”.
He asserted that the ECI had pointed out the Article XV of the party constitution which deals with split and merger within the party when such crises erupt within the party which provides for active members to decide the fate of the party.
“We have been directed to convene a general convention and the party will do so. We will abide by the directive of the ECI. The same order was also dispatched to us in 2015 and accordingly, we have called a special general convention on April 30 2015 at IG Stadium Kohima where we have reaffirmed the election of Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu and his team of office bearers who were elected on the 26th November 2014,” he recalled. This time as well, he said the party will go with the directive of the commission and call a general convention, and once again reaffirm the same and will submit to the ECI to take the final decision.
He claimed also that the ECI order ‘spoke volumes’ of the commission’s rejection of the “so-called unauthorized general convention.” Kikon asserted that unless one was an active member of the party ‘they have no voting right whatsoever, and ECI cannot take cognizance of such gatherings’.
He also stated the ECI order proves that the activities of the rival group including the Sep. 20 general convention were illegal, which, he added, was “the biggest embarrassment of this century”.
Maintaining that the ones who orchestrated the general convention were Naga leaders including the former and present chief ministers (Neiphiu Rio and TR Zeliang) and ‘some public leaders,’ Kikon derisively stated that the people do not expect their leaders to commit illegalities and mislead them. He alleged that ‘these leaders have spent all the public money, yet they do not know even the provisions of the NPF constitution.’
However, he said ‘the silent majority of the Nagas’ were with Liezietsu’s group.
On the NPF whip case, he said the other group, ‘with no justification on their part to face the court,’ was applying their only instrument available to them which is to delay proceedings and pray to the court for more time. However, Kikon pointed that just like the ECI order, the other group ‘cannot escape from the law and they should know that their days are numbered’.
“Very soon, the rule of law will apply on them. Hopefully our leaders will realize this,” he added. However, in the case that settlement does not precede election, he said the NPF as a political party, is ready to face the next assembly elections. Towards this, he urged upon the party members to be prepared for any eventuality. If there is election, he assured, the party will come back to power and it will ensure good governance to the people.
Also, the president of the NPF 9th Kohima AC Khotuo Belho spoke in a brief address about the events that led to the AC office having to be relocated. He said there was ‘internal issue in the unit which started before the prevailing NPF crisis,' with the previous team of office bearers of the AC serving an ultimatum to its elected member Dr. Neikiesalie Kire in Sep. 2016.
This had necessitated the disciplinary action committee of Kohima division to recommend action on the previous team, he said. He informed that the present team was formed on Jun. 3.
