MKG’s Langpangkong range pledges to clean elections

DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 10 : During the last state assembly elections, according to an assessment provided by YouthNet, the total amount of money spent by candidates in Nagaland was a staggering Rs. 937,82,67,500 (Nine hundred and thirty seven crore, eighty lakh, sixty seven thousand and a five-hundred).

Out of this number, Mokokchung’s share was believed to be Rs 230 crore. The district has the highest number of representations in the state assembly with 10 electoral seats. Langpangkong range, one of the six ridges that constitute the Ao territory, has three out of the ten seats.
On September 3 last, at Chuchuyimlang town, 19 villages and 15 town units/compounds under Langpangkong range pledged their support to a clean election campaign initiated by Langpangkong Kaketshir Mungdang (LKM), the range’s apex students’ body.

On Saturday, the LKM Clean Election Campaign Committee gave a press conference here in Dimapur in which it was informed that 252 people including village council leaders, church workers and women representatives were signatories to a “pledge card” endorsing the clean election campaign.

They also “unanimously” adopted a 13-point resolution which would be followed strictly in the course of the campaign for clean elections in Langpangkong range, it was informed. “The whole concept (of the campaign) is to let people understand the power of vote. We want them to understand that the right to vote is power to choose,” one of the committee members said.

According to one of the 13-point resolutions adopted, clean elections sub-committees would be formed in all the villages and towns under Langpangkong range. “These sub-committees will comprise of all the important stakeholders in the village led by the village council. To strengthen the clean election campaign, the village council chairmen and town ward chairmen will be associate members in the LKM-CECC.”

Also, the clean elections committee has planned to monitor all election campaigns in the range by way of creating a “common platform” for all intending candidates to address the voters. The committee members were hopeful that all villages under Langpangkong range would give their endorsement to this.

Already, efforts to educate the people and acquire their pledge to the campaign are underway. The committee members have scheduled to visit all the villages and towns under Langpangkong range to interact with the people and get their endorsement.

Another key resolution was to discourage village councils from choosing their candidates or announce support to a particular candidate. “Our campaign is focused on the moral and spiritual aspect,” a committee member said.

By discouraging people to sell their voting rights, we are ensuring that the candidates also adhere to the election expenditure limit set by the Election Commission of India, another member said. “So we are actually helping the candidates.”

The committee members were also hopeful that their campaign for clean elections would resonate with that of the Election Commission, and collaborate. “We expect this spark to go beyond Langpangkong range. We are very optimistic because the response has been great so far.”

The clean election campaign in Langpangkong range was adopted as one of the resolutions during the general conference of LKM which was held at Tuli in January this year. Consequently, the LKM appointed an eleven member Clean Election Campaign Committee (CECC) to initiate and realize the Clean Election Campaign resolution adopted at the general conference.

LKM Clean Election Campaign Resolution

1. The Clean Election resolution brought by the LKM to bring change in Langpangkong range is very appropriate which is very much needed in the whole Naga area. Therefore, the whole citizens of Langpangkong range unanimously resolved to carry forth the objectives of the Clean Election Campaign Committee (CECC).

2. The LKM-CECC will create a common platform for all the intending candidates in the constituencies falling under Langpangkong range to deliver speeches.

3. LKM-CECC sub-committees will be formed in all the villages and towns under the range. Thise sub-committees will comprise of all the important stakeholders in the village leading by the village council. To strengthen the clean election campaign, the village council chairmen and town ward chairmen will be associate members in the LKM-CECC.

4. During elections, the use of intoxicants and weapons/arms will be totally prohibited.

5. No political youth camps will be allowed to be opened in any of the villages or towns in Langpangkong range.

6. No citizen of Langpangkong will sell off his/her votes for money.

7. During elections, no one will approach the candidates for money, job or for any individual gains.

8. During election, no enmity should be created between or among the villages, within the village or with others.

9. Langpangkong citizens will truthfully restrict their vote to one constituency only.

10. No Langpangkong citizen should practice proxy voting during elections.

11. All the candidates will be made to make a promise to bring developmental activities in the range; the CECC will make the candidates declare this pledge at common platform speeches.

12. The church leaders will conduct home visitation and organize prayer meetings and programmes.

13. The LKM-CECC will visit all the villages and towns, and interact with the people in order to realize the objectives of the Clean Election Campaign.