Dr Shurhozelie axes 4 Ministers, 10 Parliamentary Secretaries
Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 9
After former Chief Minister TR Zeliang, in an unprecedented move, staked claim to form a new NPF led DAN government in Nagaland on Saturday, the crisis in the NPF got more animated on Sunday with beleaguered Chief Minister, Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu terminating four Ministers and 10 Parliamentary Secretaries.
Nagaland Governor P.B Acharya, who is currently out of station, accepted the recommendation of the Chief Minister to remove Home Minister Y Patton, Power Minister Kipili Sangtam, National Highways & Political Affairs Minister G Kaito Aye and Minister for Environment & Forest, Climate Change, Imkong L Imchen.
The Chief Minister also terminated the appointment of ten Parliamentary Secretaries - four from the NPF party and six Independents namely S Chuba Longkumer, Naiba Konyak, BS Nganglang, Deo Nukhu, Shetoyi, Amenba Yaden, Er Picto Shohe, YM Yolow, Er Levi Rengma and Toyang Changkong Chang.
The Chief Minister on Saturday had terminated the appointment of Zeliang as Advisor (Finance) and Nuklotoshi as Advisor to Chief Minister. Apart from the termination of the ministers and parliamentary secretaries, the NPF Disciplinary Action Committee which met on Saturday also suspended 10 legislators from the party’s primary and active membership.
The suspended members include TR Zeliang, Y Patton, C Kipili Sangtam, G Kaito Aye, Imkong L Imchen, Shetoyi, Nuklutoshi, Deo Nukhu, Naiba Konyak and Dr Benjongliba Aier.
NPF working presidents Huska Yepthomi and Apong Pongner, in the suspension order stated that the listed members involved in anti-party activities and “revolted against the party Chief Minister by going against the party government to destabilize the NPF led DAN government in the meeting held on July 8, 2017.”
It stated that the suspended members had “indulged in activities against the by-election by demanding the resignation of Dr Shurhozelie Lieziestu as the Chief Minister of Nagaland.”
While the listed members of the NPF would cease to be primary and active members, the suspension order pointed out that “they would however continue to be bound by the whip of the NPF on the floor of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly as per the judicial decisions of the apex court.”
Zeliang on Saturday had claimed the support of 33 NPF MLAs and 7 Independents out of the 59 legislators and is presently camping at a resort in Kaziranga, Assam. This latest upheaval has come at a time when the incumbent Chief Minister is gearing up for the July 29 by-election from the Northern Angami-I Assembly Constituency which his son had vacated.
In a new development, source from Kaziranga informed that Er Vikho Yhoshu, who is also an NPF MLA, joined the Zeliang group on Sunday. This puts the tally of NPF legislators camping at Kaziranga at 35 (including Zeliang).
The source also informed that the MLAs would continue to camp at Kaziranga for the next few days, apparently to wait for the Governor, who is out of station, to reach Kohima.
Not party to any camp, says BJP MLAs
Meanwhile, reacting to the speculations doing the round that legislators from the BJP party were also camping with the Zeliang group at Kaziranga, a BJP MLA on Sunday clarified that “they are not a party to any camp nor involved in any such divisive process.”
“We are in our respective homes and have no role whatsoever in the outcome of the internal dispute of the NPF and will respect the inner party democracy of the NPF,” the BJP MLA clarified.
BJP State president, Visasolie Lhoungu also informed The Morung Express that the directive of the central BJP leaders is to remain as a neutral observer and maintain status quo on the current issue until further orders.
NPF central office bearers appeal for ‘amnesty’ to NPF legislators led astray
The Central Office Bearers of the NPF has appealed to the party president Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu to grant amnesty to the legislators led stray by few vested interests and to let them come back to the party-fold in the larger interest of the party and party-led Government.
This was resolved during an emergency meeting of the Central Office Bearers held at the Chief Minister’s Banquet Hall, Kohima on Sunday afternoon, a press statement informed.
The NPF central office bearers called upon the party legislators to respect the trust of the electorates who elected them to look after the needs of the people and not to flock around for power alone. It extended full support to the decision of the Disciplinary Action Committee in recommending the suspension of the ten party legislators.
While expressing deep resentment over the attempt to destabilize the government when the centre was trying its best to resolve the Naga political issue without delay, the NPF central office bearers has expressed apprehension that this latest political move will only sabotage the sincere attempts of the government to bring a lasting settlement which is the ardent desire of the Naga people.
NPF Peren wants Dr Shurhozelie to gracefully pave way for TR Zeliang
In an indication of the growing division in the NPF party fold, the NPF Peren Division along with 6 Tening and 7 Peren Assembly Constituencies on Sunday requested Dr Shurhozelie Lieziestu to “gracefully pave way for the leader of the NPF Legislature Party and Chairman, DAN, TR Zeliang to form a new government in the State.”
A joint press communiqué issued by the presidents of NPF Peren Division, 7 Peren A/C and 6 Tening A/C stated that “opting for suspensions and expulsions will not have consequences neither on the membership of the legislators in the assembly nor on the formation of a new government”
“Unflinching support to the leadership of TR Zeliang is far beyond the 2/3 majority benchmark and it is in the best interest of the current Chief Minister to pave way in accordance with parliamentary conventions and norms for a peaceful transition at the earliest, the communiqué stated.
.JPG)
