Shurhozelie group gives ‘last and final’ call to party legislators

Newmai News Network

DIMAPUR | Aug 1

 The Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu faction of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) has given a “last and final call” to all those NPF legislators supporting TR Zeliang to withdraw their support to the latter by August 5 midnight and “come back to the party fold”.

 In a “calling notice” to those legislators, the Dr Shurhozelie faction of the NPF, cautioned that “noncompliance of this calling notice would compel the party to file disqualification petition against the erring NPF legislators” on the expiry of the time frame i.e. August 5.

This development has come a day after the TR Zeliang faction had “selected” Neiphiu Rio as “interim President of NPF”. The TR Zeliang/Neiphiu Rio faction of NPF had also asked Dr Shurhozelie to step down as NPF President within 15 days.

Meanwhile, the Dr Shurhozelie group of NPF has convened “an emergency meeting” of the Central Office Bearers (Parent Body) at 5 pm on August 2 at the central office, Kohima.

The NPF also called a separate emergency meeting with the central frontals and Cell at 11 am on August 2 at central office, Kohima. “Both the meetings were called in exercise of the power conferred on the president, Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu vide Article No. V Clause 3 of the party Constitution. Therefore, all members concerned are requested to attend the respective meetings positively without fail.

This was notified by KG Kenye, M.P (RS) & secretary general, Naga People’s Front,” the Dr Shurhozelie group said this evening.

The Dr Shurhozelie group said that its attention has been drawn to a news item which appeared in the local media wherein it was reported that the “expelled and suspended” NPF legislators along with a few NPF legislators have served a 15-day ultimatum to the party President to step down, and selection of Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio as “interim NPF President” empowering him with all sorts of ridiculous so-called prerogatives.

“This is to remind the honourable legislators that the NPF constitution clearly specifies about election of central office bearers including the president of the party. Article IV, section 5 of the Constitution of the party 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.

“Moreover, there is no provision or even mention of any post in the party constitution going by the moniker interim President, and it is quite possible that the legislators are confused with the ephemeral Presidentship held by a respected but misguided party leader during the 2015 crisis.

According to the statement, 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: whether it was the party functionaries or the legislators who camped in Kaziranga and staged their coup d’ tat from outside the State in connivance with leaders of the saffron party,” it said.

But if it is any consolation to the legislators, or gives them any comfort, 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 which, it goes without saying, should and would be discarded like rotten potatoes, the statement added.

Again, when the Naga society was facing one of the worst crisis ever when there seemed to be total breakdown of law and order and an almost anarchy-like situation gripped the entire State in January-February this year, these honourable 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,” the statement further said.

“Juxtaposed with such ignoble behaviour of our honourable legislators, it is most delightful to see that party rank and file of the NPF are steadfast behind the party President and most willing to forego material gains offered by legislators to part ways with the party”, it added.