Nagaland Baptist Church Council condemns declaration of consensus candidate by villages

Dimapur, Oct. 31 (EMN): The Core Committee of Clean Election Movement (CEM), initiated by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), has expressed dismay over villages and groups declaring their consensus candidate ahead of the state assembly election next year, whimsically brushing aside its appeals not to indulge in unconstitutional practices, when the election time comes.

Maintaining that ‘the declaration of village consensus candidate by Chungtia village under Mokokchung district has reached the ears of the High Court Kohima Bench’, the committee said the prevalence of such practices in the modern society is appalling.

“It is obvious that such practice is against the Election Code of Conduct but more than just the declaration, the approval of such declaration by the society and civil organisations is even more discouraging.

“The village council making resolutions that are punitive and dismissive is unthinkable. In principle the village councils are structurally mandated to be inclusive and restorative, to be the mediating agents of any differences that may arise,” read the statement.

While condemning such practices, the NBCC (CEM) expressed hope that the church and the village councils will be more vigilant in the future and avoid recurrence of such incidents. “We also believe that the Church leaders will pave way in leading the believers in building a just society,” it added.

The core committee went on to request the media houses to avoid divisive and unconstitutional declarations by filtering the content.