11 galand parties to boycott State polls

KOHIMA, Jan 29: Eleven political parties in galand on Monday decided not to issue party tickets or file nomitions for the February 27 Assembly elections, to press for early solution to the seven-decade-old ga insurgency issue before the polls.

The decision was taken at a meeting convened by the Core Committee of galand Tribal Hoho and Civil Organisations (CCNTCHOC) with the leaders of various political parties, including the ruling ga People’s Front (NPF) and Bharatiya Jata Party (BJP).

“...it is expedient for all the political parties, both tiol and regiol, to come together in the greater interest of the State...with the call ‘Solution before Election’ and defer the elections...and allow the ga political process to reach its logical conclusion by giving space and time to the negotiating groups to bring out an early solution,” the joint declaration of the political parties stated.

Other sigtories to the declaration include the Congress, tiolist Congress Party, Jata Dal-United, Lok Janshakti Party, Aam Aadmi Party, galand Democratic People’s Party, galand Congress, United ga Democratic Party and the tiol People’s Party.

Elections to the galand Assembly to re-constitute the 60-member House is slated to be held on February 27, counting of votes on March 3 and the entire poll process is scheduled to be completed on March 5.

After a meeting with the Core Committee on Sunday, ga separatists had issued a joint statement warning persons planning to contest the galand Assembly polls and asking them not to sabotage the historical talks by taking part in the electoral processes.

The separatist tiol Socialist Council of galim-Issac Muivah, which had signed the Framework Agreement to end ga insurgency in August 2015 with the central government, had claimed that the decision to hold elections was bound to undermine the progress in the ongoing parleys.

In 2017, the Centre signed an agreement with a working committee comprising six ga tiol political groups (ga rebel factions).

On Saturday, the Core Committee had also written to Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat, appealing to him to defer February 27 elections in favour of early solution to the protracted ga insurgency issue.

“The opportunity for a peaceful resolution of the ga political issue has never been this favourable, as the political negotiations are in advance stage and we can’t afford to distract the focus from the (peace talks) process at any cost,” the Committee had said in a letter to Rawat. (IANS)