Yitachu reiterates stand on no-confidence vote

Terming the statement of NPF legislature party of TR Zeliang camp as “a misrepresentation of facts and parliamentary practices”, the minister of school education and government spokesperson, Yitachu, on Tuesday reiterated his earlier stand that Zeliang cannot move no-confidence motion against chief minister Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu.

In a press release, Yitachu said the convention and parliamentary practices were very clear and well established in India, adding that every political party having its elected member in the House elects a parliamentary leader

According to government spokesperson, the job of the parliamentary leader was for the purpose of floor management in the House. He said that any majority grouping in the House when there was vacancy of the leader of the House i.e. the chief minister, normally the Legislature Party leader stakes a claim to form the government.  

In the present case, the spokesperson said the chief minister’s post was not vacant for the NPF party. Therefore, he claimed that even if anybody was assigned the job of a Legislature Party Leader, he or she cannot claim the chief minister’s post outside the party forum.

This being the law, Yitachu said members from the same party cannot move no-confidence motion.  “That is why T.R. Zeliang cannot move a no-confidence motion,” he said.

Explaining that there was a difference between the Leader of the House and Leader of the Legislature Party, Yitachu said the Leader of the House was the Chief Minister, and within its party set up, it was up to the party, whether to have another leader of the legislature party for floor management in the House.  

Even if the Legislature Party Leader was not elected for this purpose, he said the Leader of the House could always perform the role of the Leader of the Legislature Party, adding that there was no illegality or unconstitutionality about it. Meanwhile, Yitachu said he, as a party man, remained grateful to all his leadership in the party and in the government.  Yitachu said he had been a loyal party legislator to all the leaderships of the party government right from Neiphiu Rio to T.R. Zeliang and now to Dr. Shürhozelie.

In the present crisis, Yitachu said he was a simple, humble party man elected by his Constituency, adding that it was his personal conviction and principled stand to remain a party man of NPF, a regional party which represents the Naga identity.

Yitachu said he did not have any “hard feelings” towards any of his elected colleagues, and in the course of his political career just because of his loyalty to the party if any inconveniences was caused to anyone it was never on personal issues.

Asserting that he still continued to maintain the total reconciliation policy opened by the party, Yitachu appealed to all party legislators not to take internal party matter outside the party forum and to resolve whatever issues within the party “for the sake of the people of the State and leave the future to almighty God.”