DIMAPUR, JANUARY 4 (MExN): The Naga Hoho is of the opinion that solution should precede elections and it is definitely not the right time to hold Elections in Nagaland as the entire Naga people are longing for political settlement. “We also strongly feel that the fifteen years of political negotiations/ dialogues will go in vain if the Elections are to be conducted at this crucial point”, stated a press note issued by the Naga Hoho after its closed door meeting held today with the Chief Election Commission of India and his team members.
Keeping all these in mind, the Naga Hoho fervently appealed to the Election Commission of India “to withhold the election process in Nagaland and give sufficient time for the peace process to accomplish its tasks in the interest of all democratic loving people, or else ultimately the Election Commission of India shall have to take the responsibility for political ramification and any undesirable situation that may arise out of unwanted Elections in Nagaland”.
Taking the advantage of Election Commission of India’s coming to Nagaland, a four member delegation of Naga Hoho met the Chief Election Commissioner and his team members today at Police House, Chumukedima to appraise the desire and wishes of the Naga people. In support of the verbal discussion, the Naga Hoho has also submitted a Representation to the Chief Election Commissioner for postponement of Elections in Nagaland. This was informed in a press note issued by Inaka Assumi, Vice President, HK Zhimomi, Speaker and P. Chuba Ozukum, General Secretary of the Naga Hoho.
Stating that the Naga people have been struggling for political rights for more than eighty years, it was informed that the last Cease-Fire Agreement was signed in 1997 between the Government of India and NSCN (IM) and the subsequent signing of cease fire with different political groups have already entered sixteen years which is long enough to hammer out an amicable solution.
The Naga Hoho also pointed out to the EC that the sixty member legislatures under the banner of Joint Legislatures Forum (JLF) have met the Prime Minister and other Indian leaders seeking for political solution instead of elections in Nagaland.
Side by side, the mass based Naga civil societies have met different political parties in India and principal negotiators time and again requesting them to bring out Indo-Naga political settlement at the earliest, the Naga Hoho stated while adding that it was “fully convinced that the ball is now in the court of Indian Government whether to settle the political issues amicably or break the hard earned Cease-Fire”.
