Dimapur, Nov. 17 (EMN): Incumbent-in-assembly legislators led by Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang have announced a formal resolution on Friday attesting to the demand that the Naga political issue be resolved before the forthcoming general elections in Nagaland early 2018—a demand that the legislators envisage taking to Delhi soon.
A meeting of the Nagaland Legislators’ Forum on the Naga political issue informed to have met on Nov. 17 in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly secretariat at Kohima town. A press release from the chief minister’s office informed that the meeting was presided over by Dr. Imtiwapang Aier, speaker of the legislative assembly.
The legislators have announced a number of resolutions. The forum has endorsed the points of contention in the memorandum of the Parliamentary Working Committee of the NLF to the Prime Minister of India on July 16, 2015.
The forum has opined that with involvement of the six NNPGs along with the NSCM (IM) in the talks, “it is the right time to finalize a solution that is inclusive.”
“In view of Nagaland assembly elections due in few months, it is strongly considered that it is important to ensure that the settlement of the political issue is done before elections to prevent shift of focus from settlement to election. Therefore, it is decided that an all-political party meeting should be convened by the chief minister at the earliest.
The group has decided to make an appeal that a delegation of legislators should go to New Delhi to meet the prime minister and the central leaders “to submit the memorandum on the Naga political issue seeking an early solution before the ensuing state election, 2018.”
Liezietsu team responds
The Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu-led group of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) has issued a statement stating retroactively that it had declined the invitation of the forum to the meeting. The media cell of the Liezietsu-led NPF issued a press release on Friday stating their reasons.
The press release read: “Legislators of the Naga People's Front decline speaker's invite for a meeting of the Parliamentary Working Committee of the Legislators' Forum on Naga Political Issue, expressing reservations on the speaker's position as chairman of the forum ‘when (the speaker) cannot uphold the Constitution of the country and (the) assembly rules.”
When one “cannot stand for the truth and the rule of law,” it stated, one cannot be expected to bring about any positive “things” on an important issue as the Naga political problem," the legislators said in a signed letter addressed to the speaker of the assembly.
Nonetheless, the NPF legislators added that they were ready to "pave way in the event of the realisation of a negotiated political settlement that is honourable and acceptable to the people."
