HSPDP plays truant, meet reschedule

SHILLONG, OCT 14: Three Hills State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) Member of District Council (MDCs) went missing from the All Regional Parties Alliance (ARPA) emergency meeting on Tuesday forcing the newly elected Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Chief Executive Member (CEM)  Adelbert Nongrum to reschedule the meeting on Wednesday.

The absence of former CEM of the KHADC Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, KHADC chairperson Teilinia Thangkhiew and Pyniaid Sing Syiem, who had resigned from the deputy chairman’s post on Monday, clearly indicates that things are seriously wrong among ARPA coalition partners in KHADC.

KHADC CEM Adelbert Nongrum had convened the emergency meeting to discuss the sudden resignation of HSPDP MDC Pyniaid Sing Syiem as the deputy chairman.

“The meeting to discuss Syiem’s resignation will be held tomorrow, as three HSPDP members could not make it to the meeting today,” KHADC CEM Adelbert Nongrum told reporters.

The ARPA has also decided to appeal to all the three HSPDP members, who had skipped similar meetings earlier to discuss political happenings to attend the meeting tomorrow.

“We will also send official appeals to them for solving the issue once and for all,” Nongrum said.

UDP member Donkupar Sumer, another absentee today, informed the alliance that he could not attend the meeting due to “unavoidable circumstances”.

Claiming of not being aware of  the actual reasons that led to Syiem’s decision to quit the post, Nongrum, however, said, “At the same time, we also appeal to him (Syiem) to withdraw his resignation letter.”

The six-day-old KHADC chief however said that if the present indifferences and crisis continues to linger, he would be compelled to put the ball again on the HSPDP’s court to again take up the leadership in KHADC.

Nongrum reiterated that taking the CEM post was a compulsion for his party – the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) to save the ARPA from splitting.

“I am here not because of the chair,” Nongrum said adding “We would not hesitate to ask the HSPDP to take up the responsibility and end this present crisis in the interest and welfare of the council.”

Syiem had given three reasons for his decision to quit – being the unhappy events that followed the election of the Chief Executive Member on October 8, besides issue pertaining to the allotment of executive members (EMs) posts.

Reacting to this, Nongrum, however, said, “I would request the member (Syiem) to kindly be patience as time will tell,” adding “The issue of demand for change of leader by the UDP, demand to retain Ardent Basaiawmoit as CEM, followed by his decision to resigned from the post, all have been taken in the name to save ARPA.”

On the disgruntlement on the allotment of EM posts, Nongrum said Basaiawmoit had indeed requested him to allot one more EM post to his party before the list was submitted to the Governor for approval.

“However, we have decided to maintain the same status quo in the new EC as was in the earlier EC led by Ardent,” Nongrum explained adding “The reason behind this decision is that I don’t want to betray all the friends who have been supporting the ARPA during the recent leadership crisis.”

So far the decision pertaining to retain Nongskhen MDC Grace Kharpuri in the new EC, Nongrum said, “This was done based on the fact that the HSPDP is yet to accept her resignation letter from the party.”

Meanwhile, the HSPDP said that it is not aware of the resignation of Syiem from the deputy chairman post.

“The party was never informed about his resignation,” HSPDP parliamentary party leader KP Pangniang told reporters.

However defending his party, Pangniang said, “There is no such thing as indiscipline within the party, it is just a personal feeling of somebody which led them to take decision,” adding “There is no split within the party but it is just misunderstanding.”- By Our Reporter