Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 20 (EMN): The central executive council (CEC) of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) led by Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu on Friday while welcoming the order of the Election Commission of India dated Oct. 17 to resolve the crisis within the party as per the provisions of Article XV of the NPF constitution, endorsed the party president Liezietsu to summon a general convention as desired by the ECI, on November 22 either at Khuochiezie (Kohima Local Ground) or IG Stadium, Kohima.
The CEC held a meeting on Oct. 20 at the party’s central office in Kohima. Addressing the meeting, Liezietsu said the party’s correspondences with the ECI were being taken up as per rule and all the records were authentic.
He recalled the special general convention of 30th April 2015 which was held as per the ECI’s directive wherein the two factions of the party were directed to follow the Article XV of the party constitution to resolve the dispute with the decision of active members of the party as per the given norm. He said it was regrettable that even after that episode, the same people did not stop creating problem, which has now escalated the move to the present crisis again “which seems to be with the same ambition by the same people”.
However, Liezietsu pointed out that 2017 being the terminal year to hold a general convention as per Article IV clause 6(a) of the party constitution, the party had already started the process of conducting a convention by holding a central office bearers meeting in the first week of Oct. which had then empowered the president to convene a CEC meeting to fix the date and venue of the general convention. He said the ECI order came while this process was going on, and termed it a “fortunate coincidence”. Liezietsu informed that different committees have already been set up for the ensuing general convention and they will be issuing necessary instructions to all the divisions for the roles they have to play.
The veteran regionalist also expressed regret that the 12th house of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly had been plagued with crisis after crisis for the last four years with legislators going “from place to place seeking opportunities and greener pasture like a group of cattle herded together by a cowboy”. He termed the action ‘shameful and unfortunate’, and maintained that opportunity should be given to upcoming Naga leaders who understand decency and have concern for the welfare of the people.
“NPF was in power for many years and by and by the system became corrupted and our people blamed the NPF government in general in which we were also part of it. Therefore, a time like this where only those who understand the policy of the party standing together is to be taken as a blessing in disguise to start afresh, an opportunity of going back to our root and find out how this cock party was organized and with what aims and objectives by our elders,” Liezietsu stated.
He maintained that with a new breed of decent people particularly the younger generation, the party is confident to make a fresh start and do away with the corrupted system. “I believe that the corrupted system had gone away from us to a great extent along with those who parted ways with us,” he added.
Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu also stated that the NPF had parted ways with the BJP as the latter was party to those who orchestrated the move to deprive the NPF of its democratic right. However, he said, the NPF is committed to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as it was a founding member in the alliance. He claimed to have protected the interest of the NDA in the past in DAN coordination committee at a time when BJP had no MLA in the NLA and at a time when some people were boasting that BJP was uprooted in Nagaland.
“Human memory is very short. We will not speak ill of any political party and we have decided to go along with our present partners in the DAN coordination committee -JD(U) and NCP- in the ensuing general election in Nagaland,” Liezietsu added.
He also informed that the NPF is preparing to face the elections and has already constituted its election manifesto committee with NPF Secretary General and Rajya Sabha MP KG Kenye as the convener. Stating that the manifesto should be short and precise, having link with ground realities, he further invited members of CEC to submit proposals in writing to the committee convener if they had points to include.
Liezietsu reiterated that NPF was the only party that represents the identity of the Naga people, and he assured the CEC that many political parties will come to participate in the election but without vision “because some people are very fond of big designations”.
MLA Chotisuh Sazo, in his brief address, said the ECI order was much anticipated. “All this while we have all been emphatically saying that truth shall prevail and so has the order vindicated this stance,” he asserted and thanked the party rank and files who have stood firm till today.
He stated it a good sign that the commission has taken cognizance of the party constitution and in its order, directed the rivalling parties to resort to the party constitution as a matter of first recourse.
Calling it unfortunate that the party crisis has swept many legislators and party functionaries to the rival group ‘for want of greed, power and money’ and forsaking the party principles and ideology, Sazo recalled the instances of merger of Congress and NCP MLAs with the NPF and his observation then, that their joining NPF may do more harm than good to the party, which ultimately proved to be true.
He denounced the action of Governor PB Acharya in ‘arbitrarily’ dismissing Liezietsu’s government in July and ‘unconstitutionally installing’ TR Zeliang’s government on grounds that it was DAN crisis and not an internal party problem. “A month after favouring and attempting to destroy the party, he has stated in an interview that it is internal party problem and the party must reconcile. To my way of thinking he is trying to pre-empt his misdeeds as he is fully aware and alive to the fact that his actions are not legally compatible and tenable,” he stated. This partisan governor, who has attempted to destroy our party and degraded and tarnished the Constitution of India must be recalled by the President of India, he pressed.
