From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: Ousted CEM Lamdibok Sumer has staked fresh claims for retaining his post as the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) with the support of 16 MDCs.
Sources informed that the Congress MDCs camping with Sumer have sent a request to the MPCC and the State Government to lift the four-month-old Administrative Rule and allow Sumer to resume office as the CEM.
Sumer claims the support of 16 MDCs out of 27 members including four Congress MDCs who were earlier supporting his political rival Hambertus Nongtdu.
“We have submitted the list of the members who are supporting Lamdibok Sumer and now we are awaiting a response from MPCC leaders and the State Government,” one of the MDCs supporting Sumer said.
There are unconfirmed reports that Jaintia Hills legislators are likely to discuss the JHADC issue with the Chief Minister on Monday or Tuesday.
MPCC reiterates support to Nongtdu
In what can be termed as a shot in the arm for Hambertus Nongtdu, MPCC president Friday Lyngdoh on Friday maintained that the election of Nongtdu as the JHADC Central Parliamentary Party leader still stands, Our Reporter in Shillong adds.
“MPCC does not recognise the group led by Lamdibok Sumer,” Lyngdoh told reporters here on Friday.
Commenting on the absence of 12 MDCs on July 27 when Nongtdu was elected as CPP leader, Lyngdoh said, “We had intimated all the 27 party MDCs to attend the meeting. But only 15 MDCs turned up.”
Lyngdoh also informed that the 12 absentees, who were earlier asked to show cause for their absence had sent in their responses.
“I got the replies from the MDCs today. All the 12 MDCs have claimed that they were not aware of the meeting which is not acceptable to the MPCC,” he added.
It may be mentioned that Nongtdu’s claim to lead the new Executive Committee in JHADC suffered a jolt when two of his supporters —Mukroh-Barato MDC Rio Sten and Shangpung South MDC Wanbiang Shadap — switched allegiance to ousted CEM Lamdibok Sumer.