We want good governance, says Congress
Principal Correspondent
Kohima, February 5
In a major achievement for Chief Minister T. R. Zeliang, the entire 60 members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), including 21 dissident NPF MLAs and eight Opposition Congress today expressed confidence upon his leadership to continue running the affairs of the State. The ‘motion of confidence’ being applied for the first time in the NLA after the enactment of the Anti-Defection Law, Zeliang won the ‘trial of strength’ with all 59 MLAs, except the Speaker, who can vote only during a tie, casting their vote in his favour.
The 59 votes cast in the House included 37 NPF (excluding Speaker), 8 Congress, 4 BJP, 1 each of NCP and JD (U) and 8 Independent MLAs.
The special session of the State Assembly was summoned by Governor P B Acharya in order to settle the internal differences within the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) as 22 out of 38 of its legislators openly rebelled against Zeliang’s leadership since January 5.
Moving the ‘Motion of Confidence’ in the floor of Assembly, Zeliang said the NPF-led DAN came into existence in the year 2003. Since then, for the third consecutive term, the alliance has been running the affairs of the State.
In the past years, much has been accomplished, but much still remains to be accomplished, Zeliang said adding that the task before the present government is onerous and requires dedication and commitment from all the elected members.
Expressing concern over the move of the dissident group, the Chief Minister said “the Ninety-First Amendment of the Constitution, which came into effect from January 1, 2004, splits in political parties are no more recognized”.
Consequently, any member responsible for splits in political parties is liable for disqualification unless the splinter group has the support of at least two third of the legislative party concerned.
He however said that within the NPF party, some ‘misguided’ legislators desired to form a new Council of Ministers and had made claims of having the majority support of the NPF legislators. He said that those legislators even approached the Governor for dismissal of his government.
Expressing that allegations were made against him of being inefficient and for mismanagement of finance, he stated that Central funding pattern had undergone a major change since attainment of Statehood and the BCR gap was no longer covered by Additional Central Assistance during the 13th Finance Commission.
He was hopeful that the 14th Finance Commission would be more favourable which will come into effect in the next financial year. T.R. Zeliang said that his foremost vision for the State was the settlement of the Naga political issue and secondly, the Nagas must be economically self-reliant.
He said that the NPF party in its wisdom has decided that the misguided party legislators must be given the opportunity to realize the error of their ways, and return to the party fold.
Zeliang said that as duly elected leader, and having taken oath as Chief Minister of Nagaland, “I consider it my duty to protect the dignity of the CM’s office, and to see that it is not turned into a musical chair, who occupants can be changed at the whims and fancies of some unprincipled politicians”.
“I have every hope that good sense will prevail, and all the NPF party legislators will stand united as one, and vote in favour of the motion expressing confidence on the government,” he said.
“Our mindsets must change, our attitude must change. We must ensure that we put the common good above all personal interest,” Zeliang said.
Participating in the discussion, dissident MLA G Kaito Aye expressed that the crisis is because of the internal difference within the NPF party and there was no need for holding of the session for trial of strength.
The NPF has the mandate of the people and the problem should have been solved either by the NPF Party President or Leader of the NPF Legislature Party outside the House, but it did not happen.
“We have nothing to go against our own government, and we do support the motion of confidence,” he said.
Subsequently, the Speaker Chotisuh Sazo put the motion to voice vote, but the Leader of the house, Zeliang expressed that into to maintain a proper record of the Assembly the proper vote count should be conducted.
“Therefore, advising the Governor to summon the house at this juncture especially when the State government was facing financial crisis seemed unnecessary”, he added.
Meanwhile, interacting with this correspondent while coming out of the special session, Congress party chief whip, C. Apok Jamir said “we have voted in favour of the government to have stability and good governance.
Triumphant in the trust vote during the ‘trust vote’ of State Assembly without a single opposition, Chief Minister TR Zeliang today said the vote of confidence in the House is a ‘resounding call amongst the legislators, across party lines’.
Addressing a press conference at his official residence here this evening, Zeliang confidently said the declared stand of his government is that “we must work collectively and unitedly to arrive at a solution to the Naga political issue at the earliest while on the development front, the Nagas must be economically self-reliant”.
Expressing that ‘the air of confusion has been cleared, and contentious issues resolved on the floor of the House’, the highest decision making body in democracy, he appealed to the “misguided NPF MLAs to return to the party fold”.
“The curtains have finally come down on the political development during the past month or so. Non-issues were made into sensational issues and had blown out of proportion, and the Council of Ministers bore the brunt of the onslaught,” T R Zeliang said.
Zeliang maintained that the matter would have been resolved much early had the Governor summoned the session after his request made on January 9 and also the recommendation of the cabinet on January 15. He however said that the Governor while expressing that it is an internal matter of the NPF party had given enough time for reconciliation, but since it did not happen, the Governor summoned the session.
He also maintained that from the very inception, this situation of supposed political uncertainty could have been averted, but for the misguidance by vested interests.
Democracy is not simply about numbers alone, but it is also about adherence to principles and beliefs, and the supremacy of the rule of law, he said.
“The result of voting in the Special Assembly Session held today has exposed the hollowness of the claims of those who sought the dismissal of my government,” he said while expressing gratitude to the NPF party led by ‘president’ Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu, office bearers and workers of the NPF party, parties of the DAN coalition, Congress Legislature Party under Tokheho Yepthomi, and the Independent legislators for extending their support to the Council of Ministers headed by him as Chief Minister.
Today’s voting on the floor of the Assembly has laid bare the senseless and baseless blitz of propaganda through newspapers, poster campaigns in the streets and the social networks, Zeliang claimed.
Stating that “our doors are open (for the dissident group)”, Zeliang however cautioned that those who continue to indulge in anti-party activities will have to be appropriately dealt with.
“There will be no end if we continue to fight for portfolios, own tribe, district or constituency alone while no Chief Minister will be comfortable if such moves are allowed to continue,” he said while expressing that the special session will not only set a good example for the present generation but will leave a legacy for the future generation.
Reacting to G. Kaito Aye’s claim in the Assembly that it was an internal matter of the NPF party, Zeliang reiterated that “the demand was in fact the dismantling of the duly instituted DAN Government”. If not, he queried, “Why did his group refuse to attend the NPF Legislature Party meeting and DAN Legislature Party meetings convened by me as their leader?”
Asked whether his supporters who have been camping at Hotel Japfu after being shifted from de Oriental Grand would continue their camp, Zeliang said, “They will go back to their respective homes and start functioning the offices from tomorrow.”
On Kuzholuzo Nienu’s statement for convening Special Sessions of the Assembly every month to have better attendance of MLAs and administrative heads of departments, he said, “Such casualness and levity inside the House is unbecoming of a senior leader like him (Azo)” while also adding that the affairs of the State should not be taken so casually”.
On Congress casting their vote in his favour, Zeliang claimed that the Congress leaders informed him after the voting that “instead of the other group, we (Congress) find you are more genuine and we hope that the state will march towards progress and development under his leadership”.
On the financial position of the State, Zeliang expressed the hope that after the implementation of the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission, the fiscal health will improve and the state will be able to progress and move ahead with the rest of the country.
On filling of the vacant portfolios, he said, “We will do at the appropriate time”.
