Revamp Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) or Dissolve Party: Grace Mary Kharpuri

A REPORTER

SHILLONG: The women’s wing president of Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), Grace Mary Kharpuri has said that there is an urgent need to revamp the party and if this cannot be done then the party should be dissolved.

A few days after five MDCs of the Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) had extended their support to the Executive Committee (EC) led by KHADC CEM HS Shylla, Kharpuri on Monday informed that the MDCs did not inform nor discussed with the party concerning their decision.

The MDCs are Parliamentary Party (PP) leader of PDF James Ban Basaiawmoit, Banteidor Lyngdoh, Hadrian Lyngdoh, Morningstar Mawsor and Arbinus Lyngdoh.

Kharpuri told media persons at her residence that the disciplinary committee of the party should take action against these five MDCs for bypassing the party in taking the decision to extend their support to the Khasi Hills Democratic alliance (KHDA) in the district council.

“I have nothing against the KHADC CEM HS Shylla. However, these five MDCs of PDF have sidelined me. Hence these MDCs should be taken to task as was done with the other three MDCs of the party who had supported the KHDA as the party had suspended them,” she said.

It may be mentioned that the three MDCs of the PDF who had earlier extended their support to the KHDA in the district council and were later suspended by the disciplinary committee of the party headed by Sohra MLA Gavin Miguel Mylliem included Latiplang Kharkongor, James Sylliang and Blanding Warjri.

“As the three MDCs were earlier suspended by the party because of the same action these five MDCs are engaging in now, I feel a similar disciplinary action should be taken against them and if the party fails to do so then the PDF president and its general secretary must resign from their positions,” Grace Mary Kharpuri said.

“Maybe there is something or some personal gains for them to support the KHDA without the knowledge of the party,” she added.

According to her, the party is without discipline, disorganized and there is lack of understanding among the members. She informed that “there is chaos within the party. Hence in a meeting held on September 28 last month a committee was constituted in which all the four MLAs of the party were asked to resolve the problems of the party.

“Till date we are yet to receive any report from the committee and the party should take up this matter seriously. If no action is taken against the five MDCs by the disciplinary committee then both the president and secretary should resign. There is a need to revamp the party and if nothing can be done then its best to dissolve the party,” Grace Mary Kharpuri said.

She said that “the PDF is a new party and it needs to be move forward with positivity. But in the past few months especially after the MLA election it feels like it’s time to dissolve the party.

“Even my supporters in Pynursla constituency are no longer in favour of this party and I will listen to the decisions of the people concerning my position in the party,” she pointed out.

“The MDC election is approaching closer, and this is the time to strengthen the party and discuss on the number of candidates to field in the election with an objective to attain as many seats as possible in the KHADC but I see the party does not have this vision or desire to uplift the party and this is damaging,” she said.

Stating that there is no leadership in the party, Kharpuri said: “The party has a very weak leadership.”

Replying to a query that in the committee constituted to resolve the issues of the party one of the MDCs and MLA Banteidor Lyngdoh is also amongst the five MDCs who had extended support to the KHDA, she said, “This shows that this MLA does not have any principle as he was tasked to solve the problem of the party but he has now violated the constitution of the party.”

She also informed that earlier James Ban Basaiawmoit had threatened to resign from the party if he failed to attain the position of leader of opposition (LO) in KHADC.

On the issue of withdrawing the petition challenging the election of KHADC chief HS Shylla at the Meghalaya High Court, she said, “I had to withdraw this case because now I’m all alone as the first petitioner James Ban Basaiawmoit has also withdrawn his petition. Besides, the MDC election is also approaching hence I made the decision to withdraw.”

She added, “The EC led by Shylla has been in power now for the past three months and on top of that there are many issues which the KHADC is undertaking hence it’s not right for me to disrupt their progress.”