KHADC chairman resigns, CEM election postponed to Friday

SHILLONG, JULY 12: The election to the post of the chief executive member (CEM) in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has been postponed to tomorrow following the sudden resignation of the Council’s Chairman LG Nongsiej from the post here on Thursday.

The election to the CEM post was scheduled to be held at 2 pm today after the recent resignation of People’s Democratic Front (PDF) leader Pynshngain N Syiem before the council’s emergent session was held on Tuesday.

NPP member from Nongkrem Hispreaching Son Shylla and PDF member from Nongskhen Grace Mary Kharpuri had filed their respective nominations as candidates of the Khasi Hills Democratic Alliance and People’s Democratic Alliance for the CEM post on Wednesday.

However, just few hours before the start of the election, Nongsiej, who is also PDF MDC, decided to step down and submitted his resignation letter to the Council’s Secretary (Legislative), a move which was not taken well by the KHDA members, who termed it as “inappropriate step”.

Speaking to reporters, Shylla said that they were informed that the election has been postponed to 11 am on Friday due to this sudden development and accordingly a protem chairman and caretaker have been appointed.

Accusing that the move was intentional on the part of the PDF, the NPP leader said, “We are not surprised because we were already told by their strong supporters that we will not get a new CEM today, which only after few minutes, we got the news that Nongsiej had resigned.”

Also slamming the former KHADC chief PN Syiem, Shylla said that under his (Syiem) leadership, they have failed to fill up the post of a deputy chairman, which was lying vacant for many years, just to create unnecessary problem in the Council.

Further terming Nongsiej as an irresponsible leader without any principle, he said that the former Chairman should clarify as to what made him to resign when he had already announced that the election for the CEM post will be held today during the recently held emergent session.

“I also demand that such an irresponsible leader and also those who are behind instigating him to resign as chairman should quit as members of the House,” Shylla said.

Asked, the NPP leader claimed that the newly formed KHDA is having support of 18 members which includes the lone MDC of the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM), who had come forward to extend his full support to the alliance today.

According to him, another PDF member Morningstar Mawsor has also assured to support the alliance.

By Our Reporter