NPF spokesperson and minister School Education & SCERT, Yitachu maintained that despite the present dissidence among NPF Legislators, the NPF Party as well as the state government were intact and that both NPF and the state government were functioning normally.
In a press note, explained that the meaning of government in a state meant chief minister and his council of ministers and that the present cabinet of eight out of 12 formed a quorum.
Constitutionally and legally, he said chief minister, Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu still enjoyed the confidence of 58 members– 47 NPF MLAs, 4 BJP MLAs and 7 Independent MLAs . He said four BJP MLAs were in the government, and seven Independent MLAs had not withdrawn their letter of support extended to Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu.
He reiterated that the present crisis was an internal matter while there was difference between the issue of leadership in the NPF party from the leadership in the government.
Leadership in the party has to be decided in party forum and not taken to the Governor or the assembly , he said.
Similarly he askjed if there was crisis in BJP leadership would it warrant the Governor to summon the house to resolve the issue? In the same way, the present crisis did not warrant intervention of the Governor.
On claims of T.R. Zeliang having support of the majority NPF Legislature Party, Yitachu said Zeliang should take up the issue with the party first instead of asking the Governor to resolve the internal affairs of the NPF Party which was “was illegal and unconstitutional”.
Yitachu said resolving the internal party problems in the Assembly was not in accordance with democratic and parliamentary practices. “That is why, it is an established law that a No-Confidence Motion cannot be tabled in the Assembly by the Legislators of the ruling party,” he said.
In any given political party, Yitachu said there was always a room for inner-party democracy, including freedom to express differences of views and opinions. However, in the current scenario, he said the movement of MLAs were being restricted, and alleged that they were kept under forced confinement. Such action was undemocratic, as it undermined freedom of movement and freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution, he said.
Further, he said that Independent MLAs, or the MLAs of BJP or other political parties had no role to play in the issue of deciding leadership of the NPF Legislature Party. “It is expected that such established democratic practices and parliamentary procedures should be within the knowledge of MLAs,” he said.