Kohima, July 12 (EMN): The state cabinet held an emergency meeting on July 11 at the residential office of the chief minister following the receipt of Governor PB Acharya’s letter directing the chief minister Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu to obtain vote of confidence on the floor of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on or before the July 15.
The minutes of the meeting signed by the chief minister Liezietsu and cabinet secretary Pankaj Kumar which was widely circulated in social media platforms stated that the Council of Ministers discussed at length the Governor’s letter and was of the ‘considered view’ that it would not be proper to summon the House at this juncture.
Toeing the line of the chief minister on his observation to the speaker that was published on Wednesday, the cabinet also stated it is of the view that the current dissidence in the NPF Legislature Party, caused by dissident MLAs demanding change of leadership is an internal party affair; that there was no split within NPF party, and the party fully supports the present Council of Ministers headed by Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu; and that it is an ongoing collective endeavour of the NPF party as well as the Council of Ministers to resolve the internal party problem.
The cabinet is also of the stand that the group of dissident NPF MLAs under the leadership of TR Zeliang, who are demanding change of leadership still belong to the NPF party and though 10 of them have been suspended from the party, they are still bound by their membership of the party.
Therefore, it was observed that the dissident group has no legal right to make any demand on the Governor for effecting change of leadership, which can be taken up only in the official meeting of the NPF Legislature Party; also, they cannot demand the summoning of a special session of the Assembly to resolve the internal party matters.
On the directive of the Governor summoning the legislative assembly, it was stated that the cabinet is of the firm opinion that there is no justification for summoning an emergent session of the assembly to discuss or to resolve internal affairs of NPF. The cabinet also made a reference to the Supreme Court ruling citing an excerpt: ‘In such view of the matter, we are satisfied in concluding that the Governor can summon. prorogue and dissolve the house, only on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as the head. And not at his own.’
With the bye-election to 10 Northern Angami-I assembly constituency already notified and the model code of conduct in force, and as the chief minister has filed his nomination to contest the said by-election, the cabinet is of the view that it would not be legally proper for it to advise the Governor to summon the state assembly during this election period.
