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DIMAPUR, JANUARY 16
[dropcap]A [/dropcap]joint meeting attended by NPF Central office bearers including the party’s frontals, cells, divisions and assembly constituencies was held in Kohima on January 15 to take stock of the political situation, which was attended by Chief Minister Mr T.R. Zeliang, the DAN Coordination Committee Chairman and president, NPF Dr Shurhozelie Liezetsu and the NPF led DAN coalition ministers, advisors, chairmen and legislators. “Lamenting over the dissident camp’s activities, the Chief Minister drew attention that after Shri Neiphiu Rio had decided to leave the State for Parliament last year despite persistent appeals to him to stay on; the party and the MLAs consensually agreed upon him (T.R. Zeliang) to lead the legislature party,” said a statement issued by the NPF (Shurhozelie). It said a group of legislators, not comfortable with the probity and proactive leadership of the Government under him, desired on the other hand to run a proxy Government through Noke or Kaito. Some of the legislators thus grouped up to defy the consensual choice of him (T.R. Zeliang) and commenced the first batch of dissidence, it stated. “This led to the Kaziranga episode that was only aimed at securing the integrity of the Party’s consensual choice. At that time, there was no demand for a majority test within the NPF Legislature Party. The Chief Minister clarified that the Kaziranga episode was quite different from the current conflict between the official party at Kohima and the unconstitutional ones at Sovima, and all efforts and our appeals to the dissident group to return to the mainstream of the party have only fallen on deaf years,” the statement added.
According to the NPF statement, under the prevailing situation, there is no alternative but to seek the constitutional method of ending the political crisis, and for this, today’s cabinet meeting here has recommended a special session of the assembly and submitted to the Governor, the Chief Minster Mr. T.R. Zeliang said.
It said party president Dr. Shurhozelie Liezetsu goaded the legislators and party men to rally behind the official flag of the party as it alone has the recognition of the Election Commission of India under the country’s laws. “This is the main group and those in Sovima are the dissidents, Dr Liezetsu said, and also underscored that the whip has to be appointed under paragraph 2(10(b) of the Tenth Schedule only by the party president who alone is recognized by the Election Commission of India,” it pointed out.
The statement also said Kiyanilie Peseyie is the chief whip of the party whose name has been accepted by the Speaker and notified by him. “Neither Noke nor Kaito nor Kuzhuluzo who claim to be the President, Leader of Legislature Party and Chief Whip respectively have the recognition either of the Election Commission of India or the Speaker. Dr. Shurhozelie Liezetsu exhorted the legislators and party men to follow the Constitution of India and the constitution of NPF scrupulously,” it added.
According to the statement, all related works to hold a general convention unavoidably needs to begin at least five to six months ahead, and published in paper 30 clear days time to hold general conference. “The NPF shall strictly adhere to the party constitution, but the dissident group has no constitution and they cannot borrow our constitution, and if they refer anything from our constitution, they will invite action. The whip Mr Kiyaneilie Peseyie will issue a three line whip which covers all those elected on the cock symbol; and any legislator going against the whip will be doing so to disqualify himself, the president (NPF) added,” said the statement.
The statement then claimed that the Independent, JD (U) and NCP legislators also spoke in the meeting. Er. Levi, one of the Independent legislators who spoke said, “Thank you for giving us these crises. Had this not happened, one might not have been awakened to turn to God. In fact, we had not been invited to join this group. Only on our own sweet will, we are here.”
The meeting was chaired by the Secretary General Mr K.G. Kenye.
