Presidents of five tribal hohos have issued a statement narrating, what they claimed, to be chronology of events vis-à-vis the ongoing constitutional crisis in Naga Council, Dimapur (NCD),
According to the joint statement by Mao Hoho president M John Kape, Poumai Hoho Dimapur president KA Jotham Poumai, Tangkhul Hoho presidentAyo Vashum, Rengma Public Organisation president Wanthang Rengma and Western Chakhesang Hoho presidentZ Kpfelhou Koza, NCD tenure was set to expire in March 2020. And as mandated by the council’s constitution, all tribes duly deputed their representatives.
But, they alleged that without the knowledge of new councillors, old office bearers constituted Nomination Committee by picking outgoing councillors as members. They asserted that under no provisions could the outgoing councillors select the members, adding that it was motivated, highly unbecoming and unconstitutional.
Thereafter, a meeting was convened for installation of councillors on July 22, 2020. But, they alleged that such was the negative intent that even the order of the programme was not made known, and that it was furtively and hurriedly distributed only inside the meeting hall.
The five tribal hoho presidents said the motive became clear because it turned out to be a meeting for induction of new office bearers, though inducting new office bearers before taking oath was unconstitutional
Further, according to the NCD constitution, any executive who wanted to contest for re-election has to resign six months before the scheduled elections. But sadly, they alleged that this was not adhered to.
The matter was then taken to court lest the institution (NCD) sufferedan irreparable damage to its image and prestige as never in its history had anyone occupied a position through manipulation and other unfair means.
“The NCD is proud of this legacy and, if anything, our resolve is to further strengthen it,” they asserted.
Claiming that they had agreed for settling the case out of court in good faith, the five tribal hoho presidents regretted that it was again manipulated as memorandum of understanding (MoU) was surreptitiously obtained. They alleged that Ao Senso Telonjem Dimapur (ASTD) presidentMerenobtained signatures by going from house to house without having any mutual understanding.
Pointing out that an MoU was a document that reflected, among other things, a consensus, discussion and agreement on mutually understood principles, they said launching a door-to-door campaign was something unheard anywhere in the civilised world and stressed that it had no place in NCD. It was equally alarming that instead of correcting the constitutional infractions, the new NCD team started trying to discriminate and isolate some tribes who had raised these objections, which were necessary to uphold, protect and preserve NCD’s honour as well as its constitution, the statement noted.
The five tribal hoho presidents said they had put forth these points because NCD ultimately belonged to the people, adding that it was their firm belief that nothing should be kept away from the truth.
“Instead of pleading for ourselves, we believe in our people’s wisdom and foresight to separate the facts from the fancy. Our steadfast refusal to yield to unconstitutional and unsavoury methods is only to strengthen NCD,” they clarified.