By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The merger of KHNAM with the UDP is final. The KHNAM General Council has adopted a resolution for merging with the UDP during its meeting held here on Saturday.
More than two-thirds of the members present at the meeting voted in favour of the resolution for the KHNAM-UDP merger.
The General Council has also adopted a resolution to dissolve the party to pave the way for the merger.
However, as expected the KHNAM general secretary Pyndapborthiaw Saiborne staged a walk out as a mark of protest as soon as the resolution was adopted by the party.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, KHNAM president Paul Lyngdoh informed that more than two-thirds of the members who attended the General Council meeting have voted for dissolution of the party and also for the merger of KHNAM with the UDP.
“The constitution of the party has clearly specified that the party can be dissolved if two-thirds of the members support the resolution. We had this number so I do not think there should be anymore disagreement on the merger issue since everything was done as per constitutional provisions of the party,” Lyngdoh said.
On the allegations that the organising committee has been partial by not inviting all the units to attend this meeting, KHNAM president clarified that this is misleading since members from all the units attended the General Council.
“Those who oppose this merger are members from Shella and Mawlai constituencies. These are the two constituencies led by Saiborne,” he said, adding that it would be wrong to allege that the organising committee has been partial since the members of these constituencies were given the chance to express their views in the meeting.
He reminded that the party general secretary (Saiborne) had earlier also endorsed this decision for constituting of the organising committee to convene the General Council meeting.
Replying to a query, Lyngdoh said that it is true that as per the constitution a minimum one month notice is required before holding of the General Council meeting.
“I would like to inform that this decision to hold the General Council was taken during the Central Executive Committee (CEC) held on October 26. The General Council is being held exactly one month after the decision was taken,” the KHNAM president said.
Following this resolution to dissolve the party, Lyngdoh said no one is authorised to claim to be leaders of KHNAM from now onwards since the party no longer exists.
“We would soon be writing to the Election Commission and to Assembly Speaker Charles Pyngrope about this resolution which has been adopted by the party. The same would also be communicated to the KHADC Chairman Fabian Lyngdoh,” Lyngdoh said.
Meanwhile, he informed that the party would soon be entering into an agreement with the UDP.
Revealing some of important conditions which KHNAM has put before the UDP, he said that one of the important conditions is that the KHNAM leaders should be adequately represented in the UDP Central Executive Committee (CEC) and that all elected members (MLA and MDC) should be made members of the CEC.
The KHNAM president said that the post of working president cum spokesperson should be given to KHNAM including the post of assistant general secretary and Chief Organiser of the youth wing.
When asked about the allotment of tickets for the upcoming 2013 Assembly election, he said that both the parties are clear on this issue that elected candidates should be given preference.
“I do not think this time there would be many aspirants for the tickets from KHNAM,” Lyngdoh added.
While justifying the merger decision, he said taking into account the results of the two previous Assembly elections there is clear indication that the party was not acceptable to the people.
“KHNAM’s major base was only in the urban areas and its vicinity. The party base is minimal in the rural areas. Our base in West Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts is not very encouraging,” Lyngdoh said.
While informing that the party had made a detailed study, he said the KHNAM candidates in many constituencies had played spoilt- sport to many of the UDP candidates.
“If we combine the votes won by both the KHNAM and UDP candidates in the 2008 elections there could have been many constituencies where they could have won,” he said while adding that constituencies like Sohiong, Lyngkyrdem, Mawkhar and many others should have been won by the regional party.
When told that the rebel group still maintained that KHNAM is very much alive, the KHNAM president said that this can never happen since majority of the members had endorsed the decision for its dissolution.
“I think the voice of the majority should prevail,” Lyngdoh added.