Dimapur, August 2 (EMN): The central office bearers of the Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF), led by beleaguered President Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu, have met on Wednesday and resolved to undertake more stringent measures against a number of legislators from the same party currently at loggerheads with the former chief minister’s group.
The resolutions also included denouements on rebel legislators; rule of orders concerning assembly constituencies; and statements on allegiance to or against leadership.
A copy of the resolutions was released to the media by a ‘resolution committee’ comprising Apong Pongener, convenor; members, V Phushika Aomi, Anungba Imsong, and Rukkimong; and Sebastian Zumvu, member-secretary.
The party is engaging damage-control after 36 of its MLAs, out of 47, moved against the party’s president recently.
According to the press release from the central office bearers, the action of the governor in instating the (chief minister) TR Zeliang government was “without proper application of mind and by violating all norms and parliamentary procedures.”
The violations included action such as his “hasty summoning” of the assembly “without giving reasonable time for the incumbent chief minister to prove his majority.”
Likewise, another was his not overruling the decision of the speaker in accepting the Whip of the legislators and ignoring the “legitimate Whip” issued by NPF Chief Whip Kiyanilie Peseyie, whose appointment as the party’s Chief Whip on November 14, 2014, is still valid, the press release stated.
These actions are unbecoming on the part of the governor, the resolutions stated and denounced what they called “arbitrary, autocratic and partisan role played by the governor in appointing a chief minister through back-door.”
The resolution denounced also what the statement called “biased manner of the speaker who violated all constitutional norms to ensure that his brother-in-law sailed through the floor test” by accepting an expelled member of the NPF as the official Whip of the party from which he was expelled. The press release sought explanation “since when the appointment of the Chief Whip of the NPF party had been rescinded / cancelled by the NPF party.” He should explain as to when the Chief Whip of a political party was being appointed by legislators, and not by the political party as required by the 10th Schedule of the Constitution of India.
The resolution from the “COB” (central office bearers) resolved also to ‘stand behind’ Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu and his team.
Likewise, the group denounced the action of the ‘expelled / suspended’ NPF legislators in appointing Lok Sabha member Neiphiu Rio as interim president of the party; and serving an ultimatum to Dr Liezietsu to step down. The legislators are not empowered or authorized to make appointments, it stated.
Further, the office bearers resolved to endorse the decision of the party’s leadership in expelling 20 NPF legislators from the party and to place 12 members in suspension including Neiphiu Rio as recommended by the Disciplinary Action Committee. The press release accorded authorization to the party’s leadership to take “all measures required to maintain discipline, unity and integrity of the NPF party in the days to come.”
The resolution also recommended to the DAC expulsion or suspension of the ‘remaining dissident MLAs who have not been covered / touched till date.’
Other resolutions stated in the press release included endorsement to the dissolution of the Peren division of the NPF, and dissolution of 15 units and suspension of 4 area units; appeal “to one and all not to be swayed by promises of ill-gotten loaves and fishes of office."; appreciation to the Election Commission of India for holding the bye-elections to the 10 Northern Angami I Assembly Constituency seat; appreciation of the concern shown by the central government for extending financial package for flood-affected areas of the north-eastern region.
Meanwhile the office bearers of the frontal organisations of Naga People’s Front (NPF) including the women wing, youth wing, farmers’ wing and minority wing held an emergency meeting at the party’s central headquarters in Kohima on August 2 and have reaffirmed to support the leadership of NPF president Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu.
The meeting resolved to “whole-heartedly support the dynamic leadership of Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu, President NPF”; to “out-rightly reject and condemn the creation of self styled interim president by the legislators at state banquet hall on 31st July 2017”; to appeal to all the NPF legislators to come back to the party-fold in line with the calling notice served by the NPF central office, “forgive/condone before the expiry of grace period, that is, on or before 5th August 2017 midnight”; appreciate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “sincerely pursuing the Indo-Naga peace process and vigorously pursuing to eradicate/wipe out corruption in the country”.
Former chief minister and MP Neiphiu Rio was today suspended again from the NPF party after his earlier suspension was revoked in July when the government under Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu was in crisis.
The suspension order signed by the working president of the party Apong Pongener and Huskha Yepthomi stated that the MP was involved in anti-party activities by associating with the expelled and suspended members of the NPF MLAs and for being elected as the interim president of the party by the legislators.
He has been suspended from both the primary and active membership of the party.
