No room for Independent candidates, says Rio

For his anti-party activity, NDPP expels Seyievilie Peter Zashūmo for six years

Our Correspondent

Kohima, Oct. 27 (EMN): Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday said that the ruling PDA government and the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) will not accommodate the independent candidates even if the latter emerge victorious in the upcoming bye-elections.

He was addressing an election rally on Monday night at Pfuchama village, for the NDPP candidate Medo Yhokha who will contest for the vacant 14-Southern Angami-I seat.

Rio said that one of the independent candidates, Seyievilie Peter Zashūmo, has gone against the party decision by announcing his decision to contest for the 14-Southern Angami-I seat.

He said that the party had told all those who sought tickets to support the candidate chosen by the party; and acknowledged the decision of Medokul Sophie and Avio Tetso, who did not get the ticket but are supporting the party candidate.

He urged electorates to vote for the PDA consensus candidate, stating that it will help strengthen the party that is also ruling the state.

Rio told the gathering that having an elected representative in the government would be beneficial, ‘with so many crucial things ahead for the Naga society in the form of Naga political solution and delimitation’.

The chief minister said that the past leaders had signed the 16-Point Agreement which resulted in statehood ‘but the new generation needs to sign a new agreement that would upgrade the status and give a brighter future for the Nagas’.

He said that the four-lane road project from Dimapur to Kohima was an initiative of the then prime minister of India Atal Behari Vajpayee, who had visited Nagaland in 2003.

Rio said that the four-lane project is being implemented till Zubza; the four-lane by-pass till Southern Angami region has been cancelled due to non-feasibility report.

He, however, said that a two-lane road will be constructed and tender for the same has been floated in September.

The chief minister informed that the union ministry had also issued an order in January this year stating that there would be no more four-lane roads in hill states but only two-lanes, which will be applied throughout the country.

However, Rio said, he had subsequently written to the Centre to reconsider the same. Considering the importance of connectivity, he said that two-lane roads will be constructed as per needs.

Meanwhile, Prasilie Pienyu, the NDPP general secretary in-charge of Kohima Region, informed that five persons had sought the party ticket, which eventually went to Yhokha.

While almost all stood by the party leadership’s decision, Pienyü lamented that Zashūmo went against the party and filed his nomination as Independent candidate.

For this, he informed, the party has decided to expel Zashūmo from both primary and active membership of the party for six years, with immediate effect, for his anti-party activities.

On the claim made by the Independent candidate that he would remain in the government if elected, Pienyü said that “even if he wins, he will not be allowed to join the PDA government, but will have to remain in opposition”.

Advisor for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, Dr. Neikiesalie Kire stated that electing the NDPP candidate Yhokha, in turn, would also mean supporting the leadership of Neiphiu Rio.

He encouraged the voters to repose their faith on Rio’s leadership and his government.