DIMAPUR, July 13 - Nagaland Speaker Dr Imtiwapang Aier has asked Chief Minister Dr Sh�rhozelie Liezietsu to take a call on the issue of seeking trust vote on the floor of the House with the Governor without involving the office of the Speaker.
In his reply to the Chief Minister, the Speaker said he had only proposed the dates of the Assembly session on the advice of the Governor as per the constitutional provisions.
�As you are aware that Sessions are summoned by the Governor as per the constitutional provisions and the advice of the Governor as contained in the aforesaid letter is a suggestion to you to fix a date for the Session on or before July 15, for floor test as there have been claim by TR Zeliang that your Ministry has been reduced to minority,� the Speaker stated.
�In view of the above, we have made the proposal and put up to you on July 11. Therefore, you may kindly take a call in the matter in consultation with the Governor without involving the office of the Speaker, which needs to be kept above partisan ends,� he said in the letter.
On July 11, Liezietsu in a letter to the Speaker said the question of summoning the State Assembly on or before July 15 to hold the vote of confidence does not arise since the Cabinet had not recommended the same to the Governor.
Governor PB Acharya on July 10 directed the CM to obtain a vote of confidence in the floor of the Assembly on or before July 15 following the claim submitted by former Chief Minister TR Zeliang to form the new government. The Governor is currently out of station and is likely to return to Kohima tomorrow.
Meanwhile, three Ministers, three advisors to CM and 21 Parliamentary Secretaries have submitted their resignations on July 12. The move came after some loyal Ministers stated that the government is intact.
NPF spokesperson and School Education Minister Yitachu maintained that despite the present dissidence among NPF legislators, the NPF party as well as the State Government are intact and that both NPF and State Government are functioning normally.
In a press note, he explained that the meaning of government in a State meant Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers and that the present Cabinet of eight, out of 12, formed a quorum.
Constitutionally and legally, he said, Liezietsu still enjoyed the confidence of 58 members � 47 NPF MLAs, four BJP and seven Independents. He said four BJP MLAs were in the government, and seven Independent MLAs have not withdrawn their letter of support extended to Liezietsu.
He reiterated that the present crisis is an internal matter of the party while stating that there is difference between the issue of leadership in the NPF from the leadership in the government.
