MMC election on a bumpy ride

Election to the Mokokchung Municipal Council (MMC) scheduled to be held on October 16 is unlikely to be smooth sailing as the Chairmen of all the 15 Wards under Mokokchung town have resolved not to allow women candidates from contesting in the ensuing MMC election under the quota of 33 % Women’s Reservation Bill.
Recalling a public meeting held July 30 last at Mokokchung Town Hall on the issue, Chairman of All Wards, Watimongba said “all the participants voiced against conducting of MMC election with 33 % Reservation for Women”. He said that the meeting made a “concrete decision” to oppose the election if it was conducted with the Women’s Reservation Act.
Watimongba said that a meeting of Chairmen from all the Wards held Sunday reaffirmed their decision to “boycott” the MMC election if it was conducted despite their resolution.
At a meeting on July 31 over same issue, which was attended by all the ten MLAs of the district, district administration and Watsu Mungdang, the Chairmen of all the Wards had voiced their opposition to the reservation for women in the MMC saying it was against the traditional patriarchal set up of the society.
State Home Minister, I. Imkong Imchen in the meeting, had appealed for supporting the conduct of the first MMC election with the 33 % Reservation for women for the benefit of the people.
Imkong reminded that the Reservation for women was an Act of Parliament not only for Mokokchung but for all the places. The home minister asked who would take the responsibility for skipping all the developments in the town if the election was not conducted. All the ten MLAs were in support of the election.
President of the Watsu Mungdang (WM), Supongla in a telephonic conversation with this report, said that the WM accepted the Reservation offer made by the Government and articulated that the MMC election should be conducted under the 33 % Women’s Reservation Act. She asserted that WM would fight for women’s rights as inscribed in the Act.
Meanwhile, the President of Ao Senden, Temjenkaba also opined that the MMC election should be conducted as per the Act and law of the Government.
This is the second time the MMC election has run into problem. Earlier in 2004, elections could not be conducted as the land owners in Mokokchung town opposed the property tax of Municipal Council Act.