DIMAPUR, AUGUST 1 (MExN): The NPF Central Office today termed the demand made by 36 MLA’s for the resignation of Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu as NPF President within 15 days, and the selection of MP to the Lok Sabha, Neiphiu Rio as interim NPF President, as “ridiculous.”
A press note from the NPF central office said that Article IV, section 5 of the party’s constitution “specifies the procedure to be followed and nowhere in the Constitution has it empowered the legislators of the party to act on their whims and fancies.”
“The MLAs would do well to know where exactly they stand lest they end up in political oblivion when the dusts settle down. They would also do better to know who started the present crisis in the NPF party…” it added.
The NPF central office meanwhile said that the party organisation is “intact and solidly behind the party President barring a few individuals and Constituency units who have not shown their loyalty to the party but to their elected representatives…”
The central office further reminded that it was Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu “who rescued former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in 2004 when majority of the party’s legislators revolted against him.” “This was repeated in 2015 when the Rio-led majority of NPF legislators tried every means to topple TR Zeliang, but could not achieve their diabolical plan because of the unflinching support extended to TR Zeliang by party President Dr Shurhozelie,” it added.
It also cited the ULB related turmoil in the state earlier this year, and pointed out that “these MLAs who are calling Dr Shurhozelie as a ‘fraud’ now, furtively went to Dr Shurhozelie on February 15 night and begged, beseeched, pled and almost sobbed themselves silly asking him to take over as the Chief Minister to save the party and the party-led DAN Government.”
Despite the demand made by the 36 legislators, the NPF central office claimed that the “party is rejuvenated and takes comfort in the fact that party men and women are loyal to the political party they belong to and are not being swayed by promises of monetary benefits extended by unprincipled and shameless legislators.” It urged the party workers to “maintain their unwavering stand since truth and justice will ultimately prevail.”
NPF central issues notice to legislators
The Naga People’s Front (NPF) Central HQ has issued a last and final call to all the NPF legislators who support the TR Zeliang Ministry to withdraw their support for the same and “come back to the party fold on or before August 5, midnight.” In a notice issued by NPF Working Presidents, Huskha Yepthomi and Apong Pongener, the NPF central HQ cautioned that “non compliance of this calling notice would compel the party to file disqualification petition against the erring NPF legislators” on the expiry of the deadline.
