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Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu speaks during an NPF event in Dimapur on Thursday. (EM Images)[/caption]
Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, July 25: The president of Naga People’s Front (NPF) Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu has predicted that ‘greed and power-mongering’ will cause the downfall of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP).
Admitting that NDPP was ‘going strong’ at the moment, the veteran politician, however, said that it will ‘disappear’ like other regional parties before. The NPF, he said, will survive because it is committed to a purpose.
Liezietsu was speaking at an event to mark the inauguration of the new building of NPF Dimapur division at Landmark colony in Dimapur on Thursday.
“Being in opposition is not new to me, which is not pleasant, but this is the time to prove our integrity and commitment to the people and the state; to be contended with what we have,” he said.
According to him, a political party and its leaders must know how to live under ‘different weather conditions’; and remain committed, at the same time.
Liezietsu said he was proud to see his party members strong and unmoved despite the ‘strong wave’ of the People’s Democratic Alliance government.
He said that the NPF was formed to ‘bring peace’ when Nagaland ‘was on fire and in the midst of blood and tears.’ As such, he said, though it is natural for a political party to seek power, that is not the purpose and commitment of NPF.
The commitment of NPF, he maintained, was to bring peace through political settlement. “This party belongs to the people and we are not for power as this was not our priority. There were several regional parties in the state earlier but could not survive because of greed. But we need not be discouraged as an opposition party because we have a long-term plan and will take over the government in the next election”, said the NPF supremo.
Rajya Sabha MP KG Kenye, also the secretary general of the party, said that the NPF had been lucky enough to have ruled the state for 15 successive years.
Kenye claimed that the party has been ‘approached through the backdoor the offer of power’m, which it has repelled thus far. “Dr. Shürhozelie would have been the chief minister if he compromised on the backdoor approach but he stood by his principles,” he claimed.
“We have our priorities. Election participation is not our priority because solution to the Indo-Naga peace process was the reason the party was formed,” he reiterated.