Kohima, July 13: The Nagaland political crisis took a new turn Thursday with the state cabinet turning down Governor P B Acharya’s directive to Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu to call an emergency assembly session by July 15 to seek trust vote.
A cabinet meeting headed by Liezietsu discussed the governor’s directive Wednesday night and took the decision against calling any emergency session of the assembly. “The state cabinet was of the firm opinion that there was no justification for an emergency session of the assembly to discuss or resolve the internal affairs of the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF),” stated a joint statement issued by Chief Minister Liezietsu and Chief Secretary Panjak Kumar.
The cabinet quoted a Supreme Court judgement, saying that “the governor can summon or prorogue and dissolve the House, only on the aid and advice of the council of ministers with the chief minister as its head, and not on his own.” With the by-poll to Northern Angami-I seat already notified and the Model Code of Conduct in force, the cabinet felt that since the chief minister has filed his nomination on July 11, “it would not be legally proper for the cabinet to advise so, and for the governor to summon the assembly during this election period.” “There is no split in NPF and the party supports the Shurhozelie-led ministry,” the cabinet maintained.
PTI