Election Commission tells rival NPF factions to resolve poll symbol dispute through convention

Kohima: The Election Commission has directed the two rival factions of the ruling Naga Peoples’ Front to settle their dispute over the party’s election symbol ‘cock’ through a general convention within two months. Election Commission’s senior principal secretary KF Wilfred has directed that the two NPF factions, led by Lok Sabha MP Neipheu Rio and former chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu, resolve their dispute by following the mechanisms stipulated in the NPF constitution. [caption id=“attachment_3832747” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of former Nagaland chief minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu. NPFWeb.org[/caption] The Election Commission direction came after Rio, in an application on 17 August, had claimed to have been elected as the president of the party and sought control of its poll symbol. But, Wilfred said, the documents submitted by the NPF in 2015 showed Liezietsu as the president. According to the constitution of the NPF, office bearers have a tenure of five years, he said. Wilfred asked the party to submit a report to the Election Commission after holding the general convention within two months. “Until such recourse has been exhausted, it would not be fit for the commission to adjudicate the matter,” the Election Commission order issued early this week said. The Assembly election in Nagaland is scheduled to be held by February 2018. The Liezietsu camp said its claim was vindicated by the Election Commission order. The Rio faction, however, was of the view that the Election Commission directive was based on documents filed before a general convention held in September. The Rio camp on 20 September had held a general convention that removed Liezietsu from the president’s post. In a statement, the Rio faction claimed that after the September 20 general convention, the party had submitted the required affidavits, photographic and video-graphic evidence to the Election Commission.