Zeliang said democracy was not simply about "number alone"
Source: NEPS *

Kohima, February 05 2015: Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang said the result of voting in the Special Assembly Session held on Thursday had exposed the "hollowness" of the claims of those who sought the "dismissal of my government" .

Addressing a press conference at his residential office after winning a record "Confidence Motion" moved by him in the Special Assembly Session held on Thursday, the Chief Minister explained that democracy was not simply about "number alone."

TR Zeliang and Kaito Aye :: Pix - TSE

"It is also about adherence to principles and beliefs, and the supremacy of the Rule of Law," he pointed out.

Stating that the voting held on the Floor of Assembly on Thursday had laid bare the "senseless and baseless blitz of propaganda through newspapers, poster campaigns in the streets and social networks," Zeliang explained that the political crisis that had happened in the state had traversed well beyond the "internal affairs of the NPF party" .

"The demand was in fact the dismantling of the duly instituted DAN Government," he said and further asked that "If it has been an internal matter of the NPF party, as claimed by Kaito (G Kaito Aye) today, then why did his group refuse to attend the NPF legislature party meeting and DAN legislature party meetings convened by me as their leader?" .

Appealing to the "misguided NPF MLAs" to return to the party fold as the "contentious issues" had been resolved on the Floor of the House, the chief minister said their doors were open but cautioned that for "those who continue to indulge in anti-party activities will have to be appropriately dealt with" .

He also said the vote of confidence in the House today must be construed not just as a vote of confidence in his government but also as a resounding call amongst the legislators, across party lines.

"The declared stand of my government is that we must work collectively and unitedly to arrive at a solution to the Naga political issue at the earliest," he said.

"On the development front, the Nagas must be economically self-reliant" .

* The sender of this news can be contacted at nepsonline(at)yahoo(dot)com .