Election only after insurgency ends: Nagaland legislators

Kohima, Dec 7 (IANS) The Nagaland Legislators Forum on Thursday resolved to urge the Election Commission to conduct elections to the Assembly only after a solution is found to the decades-old Naga insurgency.

Naga leaders including present and former MLAs and MPs met at Regional Centre of Excellence for Music and Performing Arts and resolved to request the members of the Nagaland Assembly to pass a resolution to this effect.

Governor P.B. Acharya has summoned a two-day session of the Assembly on December 14-15. Election to the 60-member Nagaland Assembly is scheduled in February-March 2018.

Adopting a four-point resolution, the Forum urged the Indian government and other stakeholders to resolve the Naga political problem well before the Assembly elections.

The resolution signed by Chief Minister T.R Zeliang, Assembly Speaker Imtiwapang Aier and T. Khongo, President of Ex-Parliamentarians Association, said the Assembly elections must be held "only after an honourable and acceptable solution is reached in regard to the Naga political problem".

The Forum placed on record its deep sense of appreciation of all the positive steps taken by the Indian government and other stakeholders.

Zeliang, who addressed the gathering, called for 'one vision, one mission and one goal' in finding a lasting solution to the vexed Naga political issue at the earliest.

Lauding the efforts of the Church, Civil Societies and NGOs, the Chief Minister recalled that with their contribution and cooperation, the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government since March 2003 had accorded highest priority to the Naga political issue.

"Efforts at bringing about better understanding between the different six Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) and drawing them closer to each other has been made while numerous resolutions were passed by the Nagaland Assembly and other forums to give the right impetus to the Peace Process from time to time," Zeliang said.