NPF dismisses rival formation, appointments

NPF central, through its press bureau has said the formation of a rival NPF Coordination Committee backing the dissident Kaito group, at the January 10 meeting and attended by members of the CEC, central office bearers and division/AC office bearers “holds no water” since declaration and appointments of elected central office bearers, frontal chiefs, division presidents and appointments of Division office bearers (except in the case of Kohima NPF Division) were yet to be completed. It said, since even the NPF Central Executive Council was yet to be constituted, under the circumstances, no meeting, such as DAN Coordination Committee “ is permissible”.
NPF said both Nuzota Swuro and T. Shuya, convenor and co-convenor of the NPF Coordination Committee backing Kaito at the January 10 meeting, were office bearers during the last tenure but who were neither elected nor included in the current list of NPF Central office bearers.
Citing NPF party constitution (Art. V, clause 5) which stated that the party president shall have general control over all offices of the party, including frontal organisations and cells; NPF central asked where was the provision in the constitution,that allowed “any Tom, Dick or Harry to call any high level NPF party meeting?”
Further, NPF said appointment of party chief whip could only be made by the party president and duly notified by the Assembly secretariat and officially circulated all over India.
NPF also pointed out that official legislature party meetings can only be called by the incumbent legislature party leader of NPF, who is chief minister T.R.Zeliang. It said as legislature party leader T.R.Zeliang will authorise the Parliamentary Affairs minister as the legal authority, to preside over such meetings and discussions or decisions made can be recognised as legal. Other than that, NPF said no individual or group of legislators can convene any meeting of the party legislature.
Further, it cited the ruling of the Supreme Court (S.R.Bommai case) that dispute over majority support among legislators could only be solve on the floor of the house. In view of the ruling by the country’s highest court, NPF urged upon the Governor, as the guardian of the constitution to uphold the order in letter and in spirit by summoning the assembly at the earliest for a trial of strength as contained in the letter it submitted.
Stating that “futile exercises lacking the sanction of constitutional law and legal procedure, would ruin one’s political career once and for all” NPF urged upon dissidents to return back to the party that is recognised by the Election Commission of India, in their interests as well as their constituent’s interests before it was too late, rather than remaining in “unlawful camps, buying dreams sold by political mercenaries, who are out to do harm to the people of the state”.