Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) speaker, Dr. Imtiwapang Aier on Tuesday heard the case pertaining to the disqualification petition filed by chief minister, T.R. Zeliang against the nine MLAs of Dr. Shürhozelie’s group and adjourned the proceedings to November 28, 2017.
The counsels of the petitioner (chief minister) and respondents (9 MLAs) submitted their lists of questions/issues before the speaker.
After hearing both the counsels– petitioner (chief minister) and respondents (9 MLAS), the speaker through an order scheduled the next hearing on November 28 (for the petitioner) and November 29 (for the respondents) to make their submissions.
“I have heard both the parties if brief. Now, you have seen each other’s suggested issues. I feel you may want to make further submissions. Therefore, I will give you another time for hearing,” the speaker stated in the order. In this regard, the speaker has asked both the parties “to submit their replies/rebuttals reduced in writing by 10 a.m. the next day with a copy to the opposite party without fail.”
“At the end of this process, if there are nay outstanding questions or issues for me to raise, I will do that and both parties will argue on those questions and issues,” the speaker stated.
Meanwhile, the speaker in another order accepted the application of Yitachu, MLA, impleading to be the petitioner in place of late Kiyanilie Peseyie who passed away on September 27.
Accordingly, the speaker informed that the petition for disqualification case no. AS/LC-07/PFD-2/2017 shall be “Yitachu Vs T.R. Zeliang & 35 other MLAs”
Sazo slams speaker’s ‘inaction’
Former speaker Dr. Chotisuh Sazo, MLA, Tuesday said that the NLA speaker has failed to understand what was happening, saying as per the rules the speaker has to take prompt action after 10 days of receiving the petitions.
Speaking at the sit-in protest site at civil secretariat here, Sazo expressed anguish over the “inaction” of the speaker and dared him to disqualify them (nine MLAs with Dr. Shürhozelie) if they had gone against the rules and if there were such rules.Sazo said the problem started when the NLA speaker recognized two whips without following the rules.
Further, the former speaker said the members sought justice from the judiciary, but was delayed time and again, adding “justice delayed is justice denied”.
R Tohanba, MLA, said also came down heavily on NLA speaker and challenged speaker to disqualify the nine members if he could justify his actions. “If the speaker cannot justify then he should disqualify the 35 members,” Tohanba said.
Tohanba also said that the way the rival faction was trying to oppose ECI’s order was “unruly”.
In his address, Ex-MLA, Nihoshe, said in a democracy it was the legality that matters as law did not concern about having majority.
Also, expressing dismay over the delay in court hearing, Nihoshe said that it was more than 6th time that hearing was deferred. He said that whatever be the reason for the delay in hearing it was unfair and intolerable.
NPF Mon division president, L. Yalong Konyak and NPF CEC member, Povotso Lohe, also spoke at the protest site.
State NCP president, CEC members, MLAs and party workers from different district participated at today’s dharna.
Meanwhile, NPF legislature party spokesperson and chief whip, Yitachu, MLA, termed as “meaningless” the hearing scheduled for November 28 by the NLA speaker.
Interacting with media persons, Yitachu said the hearing was useless because the case was related to the petition for disqualification filed by chief minister on August 4 over July 19 assembly session, which failed to transact any business.
Instead, he said the speaker must take up the petition filed against July 21 session where voting took place.
Yitachu reiterated the allegation that the objective of the speaker was only to delay the matter and allow the “unconstitutional government to continue.”