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Principal Correspondent
Kohima, January 13
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]arliamentary Secretary for School Education and newly appointed spokesman of Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) today asserted that the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) led DAN-III government is secured and will continue to function.
Addressing a press conference at de Oriental Grand, where the supporter legislators of Chief Minister TR Zeliang are camping, Yitachu said the Chief Minister enjoys the majority in the Assembly and also outside the House. He was appointed as the DAN spokesman yesterday.Divulging things on behalf of the DAN legislators, he said “today we have a sitting Chief Minister, and at no point of time in the party forum nor in the NPF or DAN legislature forum was discussed about the leadership issue.
He however said that the issue of replacing Neiphiu Rio was discussed at the party and legislature forum and the issue was settled with TR Zeliang being elected and inducted as the CM.
“After his induction till today there has not been any discussion on replacing him either at the party or legislature forum,” he said, adding that now if anybody challenges the leadership, it is a dissident movement.
He said that the dissident group does not have the right to have a separate grouping out of the party or the legislature forum. “If there be any issue, it is for the leadership to inform the Parliamentary Affairs and Chief Whip to call the meeting and the parliamentary board meetings are held to sort out the matter. “Whatever grouping has been formed and discussed is all illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic,” he said.
Maintaining that the campers (dissidents) are kept under duress and not even allowed to talk to their wife and children, he alleged they have even undertaken commitment in the form of affidavit from the members under duress and threat.
Therefore, the only way to resolve the issue is to have a floor test in Assembly as it will free all individual members to express the mind freely, he reiterated while claiming that the sitting NPF-led DAN government has the absolute majority both inside and outside the House and “we are ready to face the test anytime.”
He said that the dissident group has been claiming to have 22 NPF members supporting them but since nine of them have been suspended they cannot attend any of the NPF board or legislature meetings to cast their vote, while they can attend the Assembly and cast vote, but it would also be under the chief whip’s directive. Therefore now the strength of the NPF outside the Assembly is only 29 MLAs.
Reacting to reports on the election of Noke Wangnao as the new NPF President along with other office bearers by the dissident group, he said that NPF is a registered and recognized political party under the Election Commission of India (ECI) and whatever any member does it has to be under the ambit of its Constitution.
“The NPF has a Constitution on how to run the party, system, how to elect office bearers, including the division officials and who are to be given active membership. We have our own systems and rules, which needs to be followed,” he said.
Under NPF constitution, he affirmed that the Central Executive Committee (CEC) is the highest body and it is above the Working Committee and it alone has the power to constitute the election board of the party, which will in turn fix the date and time to either select or elect the office bearers while the final approval has to be given by the NPF General Convention (GC).
And, he said that the GC can only be called by the CEC in consultation with the Central Office bearers and then it (office bearers list) is submitted to the Election Commission of India and any addition in the list we have to take the permission of the ECI. He also said that the list of office bearers will be examined from the ECI too and the truth will prevail, but if there is a dispute ECI can also intervene.
Therefore whatever activities taking place in the dissident group is all anti-party activity and outside the party forum, he said.
He also said that party members are free to leave and chose any other party but elected members cannot do so. The 10th Schedule of the Constitution (Anti-Defection Law) is very clear and it does not allow any member to leave the party as they desire but they would attract disqualification… so if they do want to attract disqualification, they continue to remain as NPF legislator, he said.
He said that the 10th schedule does not provide for split within the party, while on the other hand the NPF constitution provides only for dissolution of the party while also claiming that under the constitution, there has to be at least 3/4th of the CEC members and 2/3rd of the Division to dissolve the party.
“The incumbent CM has the law and party on his side… this is a functioning and running government and to displace a running government and dislodge a sitting CM it has to undergo certain procedure in Assembly,” he said.
The Assembly rules are very clear which states that either the aggrieved party should move the No Confidence Motion and dismiss the government if it cannot prove its majority or the government also can move the Confidence Motion, he said.
But, he clarified that in a democracy, a Party member cannot move the motion against the leader in the Assembly, while it’s different at the party forum. So they (dissidents) are unable to move the motion as the sitting leader is from NPF and the sitting MLA cannot move the motion while there has to be at least 10 elected members from other political party to move the motion.
Today, people are suffering, he said while justifying that although the government is running and there are no pending files, but yet the people are unable to talk with their elected representatives and so feel sorry for the unfortunate state of affair. “Elected members are people’s representative and therefore they should be given the freedom to express their free mind… they should not be controlled by any external forces,” he said.
Nonetheless, the present government is secured and it will continue to function and there is no room for imposition of President’s Rule as the CM enjoys majority both inside and outside the House.
He also pointed that so many falsehoods are being spread as they (dissidents) claimed that new government will be formed after Governor comes, after that they took the excuse of Advocate General and then went to meet BJP Central leadership but nothing has happened till date. “How can they keep the elected members, who have so much responsibility to perform for the people of the State under confinement with false promises,” he queried. Truth will prevail, and the only option is floor test in the Assembly, he said.
He also said that it is most appropriate that the governor summons the assembly, as requested by the CM, at the earliest and give opportunity to the sitting CM to prove his majority. He opined that the Governor is taking time as he is looking into the pros and cons of summoning the special session as it is the ultimate option and it is appropriate that he is giving time to resolve the internal difference of the party.
On their camping at the Hotel, he claimed that “we are staying here, but not under any confinement as some of us are also attending the offices”. He also asserted that TR group presently has 25 supporters in the House of 60 while more of the confined NPF legislators will join his side once they are set free.