Disillusioned NPF cannot function as responsible opposition — NDPP

Dimapur, March 12 (EMN): The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) has accused opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF) of failing to “accept the reality that the mandate of the people of Nagaland is with the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA)”, resulting in the latter failing to perform as a “responsible opposition party”.

“Today, amongst other issues, the NPF keeps harping on the lack of infrastructure and roads in the state, which sadly only shows how their egoistical mindset has blinded them to the huge improvements in the condition of the roads and other infrastructure in the last two tears after the PDA government has taken over. It is most incongruous that the NPF should talk of bad roads when, during its regime, had constructed wafer-thin asphalt roads in the state capital; and during monsoon, video clips of the asphalt being washed away went viral, much to the chagrin of the populace! Perhaps the opposition should first open their eyes to the various people-centric programs and activities the PDA government has undertaken under the various branches of the government for the welfare and uplift of the people of the state and not only just put their attention the roads and infrastructure sectors.

“The NPF, in fact, have much to answer to the people for the misgovernance, corruption and disunity it gave the people from 2014-18! It is for the people of Nagaland to decide whether the PDA government is doing well or not, and not for the opposition NPF, which produced the worst regimes in the history of the state under their leaders Mr. TR Zeliang and Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu, to decide or comment on the performance of the government of the day,” read a statement from the NDPP on Thursday.

It expressed shock that the NPF would question the PDA government on the Naga political issue and on matters involving the human rights activists of the state ‘when their legislators are very much a part of the Joint Legislators Forum (JLF) as well as members of the core group of the JLF.

“Such immature statements only bring to question the state of affairs within the NPF party since in any political organisation, there is constant communication between the elected representatives and the party organisations, especially on matters of such importance. However, in this case it does not seem to be happening with the NPF party. Therefore, the NPF party should first question their elected representatives on the discussion that occur during the JLF meetings before throwing false and malicious accusations at the PDA!

“In the last five sessions of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, the PDA government has ensured that the people are not deprived of their constitutional rights by ensuring that the sessions go their full sittings unlike under the NPF regimes of TR Zeliang and Shurhozelie when sessions lasted for record 10 minutes!! Without a doubt, the TR Zeliang government was able to bring about an opposition-less government in the name of the Naga issue. However, sadly, that government of the day took the advantage of an opposition-less government to bring about a reign of diabolical magnitude by fleecing the people of not only their constitutional rights but also stripped bare the state exchequer and all other developmental activities,” it stated.

The NDPP went on to state that the dictatorial functioning of the NPF was once again manifested in the “unceremonious suspension of the Member of Parliament Mr. KG Kenye, who was also the Secretary General of the party; as well as the expulsion of party members and dissolution of the Chizami unit of the party, which has not gone down well with the Phek division of the NPF party”.

It suggested the NPF to get its house in order before attacking a popularly-mandated government with false, malicious and unfounded accusations.

“The NPF have accused the PDA government on backdoor appointments, perhaps forgetting that their record of such appointments is an open secret! The PDA government has been committed from day one to provide transparency, accountability and good governance to the people and has been endeavouring to do so for the last two years.

“It is also because of these commitments that the chief ministers and ministers have given assurances on the floor of the house on many occasions. The PDA government is serious in its assurance of constituting the SSB, for which the report from the committee is awaited. The demand of setting up of the SSB is not something that has suddenly emerged. This demand of the youth has been an ongoing process which unfortunately, under the TR Zeliang government, the then incumbent chief minister decided to turn a blind eye, leave alone trying to address the issue,” read the statement.

According to the NDPP, the organisational and the legislature wings of the NPF party have a known history of confronting one another as was witnessed in the last four years of the DAN regime, which culminated in 2017 with the legislature wing of the party overthrowing their own president from the chair of chief minister, resulting in public confrontation between the two wings.

“The reign of the NPF under Mr. TR Zeliang and Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu were times when politics in Nagaland reared its ugliest head, with betrayals and backstabbing taking centre stage and ministers and parliamentary secretaries spending more time in hotels and sleeping on the floor of the chief minister’s bungalow, rather than working and addressing the needs and concerns of the people. It was at such a time that people realised that time had come for a change and eventually mandated the PDA government in 2018.

“The members of the PDA and the coalition parties respect and understand the mandate of the people, and it is our endeavour that the NDPP-led PDA government will continue to fulfil all our commitments to the people of the state before we seek a fresh mandate again,” it stated.