SHILLONG: The first day of the KHADC Summer Session on Monday witnessed a heated debate over the decision of the Executive Committee (EC) to do away with the customary and social practice and process of election and nomination of Syiem of Malaisohmat Syiemship.
While the EC has justified its decision to do away with the prevailing practice by allowing the local indigenous male citizens of the Syiemship to vote in the election, the opposition said that the attempt of the EC to do away with the prevailing customary and social practice is posing a threat to whole local indigenous population within the jurisdiction of the Council.
The contention of the opposition was that only the Malai and Sohmat clans are allowed to contest for the post of Syiem in the Hima stating that it was practiced for almost 100 years.
During the question hour none of the members were willing to listen to clarifications of the CEM prompting the chairman Teilinia Thangkhiew to intervene and disallow discussion on the subject.
Earlier in his reply, KHADC CEM Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said that they have the decision to hold the election of Malaisohmat Syiemship by allowing the local indigenous male citizens to vote in the election was in the best interest of the whole population under the Syiemship.
“We have not attempted to modify or change the prevailing customary practices. We have strictly followed as per the precedence which was practiced in the past,” KHADC Chief Executive Member Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said while replying during the Question Hour on the first day of the Council Summer Session here on Monday.
Basaiawmoit on the other hand said that the Syiem was elected by the people and is done as per the need of time.
“There are instances when there is a crisis in the election of the Syiem; the issue is taken up by the people. Therefore, we as representatives need not be static but dynamic with changing times,” he said.
To a supplementary question of Oppositon leader Pynshngain N Syiem as to why the Council has allowed the election of a person who belongs to a clan (Iawrod clan) who is traditionally not eligible to be elected as the Syiem of Malaisohmat Syiemship, Executive Member in charge Elaka KP Pangngiang said that the tribunal of the district council court and also the High Court has upheld the edibility of the Iawrod clan to be elected as the Syiem of the Syiemship.
“We are only following the directive of the High Court to hold the election within a period of three months as per the ruling which passed in February 2014. I am happy we have been able to comply with the directive of the court,” Pangngiang said.
In response to this reply, the Opposition leader said that the present EC has disrupted the customary and social practice and process of election and nomination of Syiem which was prevailing under the Syiemship for the past many years.
As per practice which was going on for the past 125 years, he said that there are five electorates who represent the five different clans who normally elects the Syiem of Malaisohmat Syiemship.
“The EC has forcefully taken away the rights of the five clans to elect the Syiem. The members of the five clans are in dilemma over the attempt of the EC to suppress their rights,” Syiem said.
The Opposition leader however observed that the basic role of the district council is to protect the prevailing customary and social practices.
“But the present EC is doing the opposite by bringing a changes to the prevailing customary and social practices which is posing a major threat to the local indigenous population,” Syiem said.
Laitumkhrah Congress MDC Antonio War said that the EC is creating a wrong precedence which is going to have serious ramifications in the near future.
“I would like to know that if the EC would be ready to hold a similar election for Mylliem Syiemship by making all the local indigenous under Syiemship as the electorates,” War said even as stating that if the Council intends to hold the election of the Syiem by allowing the political parties to take part in the election.
In reply, EM in charge Elaka said that out of the five clan who are electorates for the Syiem of Malaisohmat Syiemship, the credentials of two of the clans (Sohtun and Khardewsaw) are doubtful.
“After going through various papers, I have serious doubts if they are genuinely eligible to be electorates,” Pangngiang said.
In view of the controversy on the credibility of the two clans, he said that the EC unanimously feels that the best option is to allow the local indigenous male citizens of the Syiemship to vote for the election of the Syiem.
“We have allowed the democratic process to prevail,” EM in charge Elaka said.
Basaiawmoit however asserts that the opposition should not always have a negative perception on the intention of the EC. “We are here to serve for the best interest of the local indigenous population,” KHADC CEM added.