Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, December 23 2010:
New Speaker Irengbam Hemochandra elected unopposed, takes charge of office.
After the announcement, house leader and chief minister O Ibobi accompanied by Opposition leader Radhabinod Koijam ushered in the newly elected speaker of the house to the speaker's seat according to protocol.
Later felicitating the new Speaker, Chief Minister said, "I expected that a democratic process will be maintained and a judgment based on impartiality from both the treasury and opposition benches will prevail".
The CM requested the new Speaker to take decisions unbiased and not base on emotion but on expediency.
Opposition leader O Joy said the speaker of the house is expected to strengthen the democratic parliamentary system to a higher level.
Okram Joy said, "the voice of the speaker is the voice of the house, and the voice of the house is the voice of the people" .
The chief minister requested the media fraternity to act as a watch dog of democracy taking the role of the fourth estate.