Youths to mediate between Paul & Ardent

SHILLONG, MAR 25: United Democratic Party (UDP) state youth wing will try and play the role of the peacemaker  between UDP Shillong Lok Sabha candidate Paul Lyngdoh and Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) vice president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit by inviting both to resolve the their difference across the table.

“We will write to them (Paul and Ardent) on the need to resolve the issues across the table,” UDP-SYW vice president Hamlet Dohling told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday.

Of late  there have been attacks and counter attacks between Paul Lyngdoh, also a legislator from West Shillong and Nongkrem legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit.

The entire controversy came after the UDP’s allies in Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Hills State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) refused to support Paul Lyngdoh as the common candidate on ground that he doesn’t stand a chance to win the ensuing Lok Sabha election from Shillong seat.

The three regional parties – UDP, HSPDP and KHNAM are coalition partners under All Regional Parties Alliance (ARPA) in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) under the leadership of Basaiawmoit as the Chief Executive Member (CEM).

While Lyngdoh had termed the two regional parties (HSPDP & KHNAM) as smaller parties, Basaiawmoit had accused the UDP of back-stabbing.

Dohling said, “The need of the hour is for the regional parties and their leaders to work together by putting the important issues that are concerning the state in front and keeping  aside personal and political indifferences.”

According to youth wing, the fighting between the leaders of the two regional parties will take the state nowhere.

“We don’t believe that such verbal fighting will help us to resolve the issues that confronted the people and the state,” Dohling said. He informed that the youth wing will try to bring both the leaders across the table to discuss and end this stalemate once and for all.

Stating that it will not be healthy for the HSPDP leader to interfere in matters related to the Lok Sabha elections, Dohling said that the fight is between UDP candidate and candidates from Congress, Independents and not with the HSPDP. – By Our Reporter