Dimapur, February 16 (MExN): A press conference was held at Tourist Lodge Dimapur by unsatisfied members belonging to seven eastern tribes and Ao Union from The Naga Council. Representatives from those that reportedly ‘walked out’ from a meeting held at the office of the Naga Council stated “Today the election committee has brought up a ‘ready made’ answer by appointing ‘certain persons’ beyond the endorsement given by the Naga Council. “We had instructed the election committee to start the election process and not to nominate or elect because the election commission has not been enforced with the right to nominate or elect candidates for the Naga Council” a representative said. “We object to the suggestion and the report submitted by the election committee so we walked out from the meeting, the representatives said. It was also felt that ‘Enough time’ was not given to express all these anomalies and loopholes hence the seven tribes of Naga Council and the Ao Union has decided to ‘walk out.’
The representatives also stated that the Election Commission was empowered to start the election process and not to change the nomenclature of the committee. It was informed that the tenure of office and election for Naga Council office bearers is clearly stated in Article 8 in the constitution of the Naga Council which states “The tenure of the office shall be Five years from the date of its election and it shall be eligible for re-election. “We are not in a hurry or stubborn to take any step right now for all the seven constituent tribe and the Ao Union feel that Naga unity is the most important juncture right now” representatives from the seven unions from the Naga Council stated. Akum Yimchunger, ENPO President also informed that within a couple of days an executive meeting will be held with the seven tribes and the Ao Union.
Meanwhile, a report given by the Election Commission which issued on February 9, was made available to the media. The report stated that taking advantage of the power conferred to the election commission by the office of the Naga Council, a meeting was convened on February 8 at 9:00 am by the convenor W. Mero with all the appointed members present and after a thorough deliberation on the process of election, a unanimous decision was taken to ‘adopt a method of selection which was best suited in the interest of the Naga Council as a whole, though the nomenclature of the committee is termed as “Election Commission”. The report also stated that Savi Liegise who holds the present post of president was also unanimously voted on December 3, 2009 at Tourist lodge and requested him to continue for one more tenure and selected him as the president for the tenure 2010 to 2014. Further in the report the committee recommended that the election system is to be stopped in the future so that there will be no groupism, arealism, tribalism and so on which will turn Naga Council into a political arena. Also, the committee suggested in the increase of office bearers post by creating one post of Vice President and one post of Finance Secretary.
Naga Council gets new team
A press note was issued to various media by Ntsemo Ngullie, General Secretary- “Elect” Naga Council Dimapur, which informed that a meeting of the Naga Council was held at the office of the Naga Council on February 16 at 11:00 am and deliberated on the report submitted by the Election Commission. “The house discussed at length the report of the election commission and the convenor of the committee W. Mero put the report for voting” the press note stated. It also informed that the house passed the report of the election coming by over “2/3 majority” which elected the following members:
z President- Savi Liegise
z Vice president- T. Bangerloba Ao
z General Secretary- Ntsemo Ngullie
z Joint Secretary- a) L.L Buming (Administration) b) Joseph Shingnaiso
z Treasurer- Deitho Rakho.
The note further mentioned that the council meeting and voting on the “Election Committee Report” was witnessed by “OBSERVERS of the Meeting” namely:
z Dimapur District GB Association - President MY Ngullie, Onen Jamir (Gen. Secy), Yehozü, Sumi GB, Tangai, Phom GB and Pukolie, GB.
z President, DPSH Khukivi Awomi,
z Legal Advisor Naga Council Zhasa Vüprü, Adv.
