Warring factions of the ruling party in Nagaland on Saturday signed a reconciliation agreement to end a months-long crisis that left the Nagaland People’s Front divided from within, PTI reported.
Two camps, one backing Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang (pictured above) and the other headed by party president Shurhozelie Liezietsu, have been at loggerheads since July when 36 MLAs supported Zeliang to oust Liezietsu from the chief minister’s post. It led to the party being divided as Zeliang’s supporters formed a separate faction with former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio as their president.
According to the reconciliation agreement, Zeliang will continue as the chief minister and lead the party in the next election while Liezietsu will remain the party president, the Nagaland Post reported. Unidentified party officials told PTI that once the reconciliatory process is completed, the NPF faction headed by Rio would die “a natural death”. They said Rio has decided to resign from the post of party president.
The talks for reconciliation began after Zeliang called for a meeting. “We have asked everybody to come together and to resolve the internal crisis of the NPF party,” Zeliang said, according to Eastern Mirror.
Minister for Health and Family Welfare Imkong L Imchen, who belong to Zeliang’s camp, said the peace talks had to be started to solve the larger political and insurgency issues in the state. “Solution of the Naga political issue is the prime concern,” he said, according to PTI.
Imchen said the party was following the Election Commission of India’s orders to reconcile and resolve the matter. “As legislators we thought it is best to work together for a final settlement to achieve the common aspiration of the Naga people,” he added.
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