ARPA meet fails to take decision on leadership issue
SHILLONG: The all important meeting of All Regional Parties Alliance (ARPA) on Tuesday failed to take any decision on the demand of UDP for change of KHADC leadership.
The UDP has been demanding removal of Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit as CEM, which was opposed by local traders on Tuesday.
Thousands of local traders demonstrated inside the premises of the KHADC to protest against UDP demand before the state of the meeting which was attended by all the seventeen APRA MDCs comprising HSPDP, KHNAM) and UDP.
A section of the crowd reportedly pulled down the national tricolour.
The crowd left the office premises only after Basaiawmoit came out to address them after the meeting which lasted nearly two and half hour.
“All the members of the ARPA have decided to resolve all the differences. We have all decided to remain united till the end of the term,” Basaiawmoit told reporters after the meeting.
On the demand of the UDP for his removal as ARPA leader, Basaiawmoit said the UDP will resolve the issue with the leaders of the HSPDP.
The demand for the change of leadership, however, is still hanging in balance with UDP MDCs refused to make any commitment during the crucial meeting.
UDP Parliamentary Party leader in the KHADC Teinwell Dkhar said that the party MDCs refused to make any commitment on the issue “since they have left at the wisdom of the party leadership to decide on the matter.”
“We have already decided that the matter would be taken up by the party leadership. I am sure that the party leadership would soon convene a meeting of the leaders of both KHNAM and HSPDP to take the final call on their demand for change of leadership in the Council,” Dkhar, who is the Deputy CEM in the present Executive Committee, told newsmen after the meeting.
When asked if he was satisfied with the assurances given by the CEM on the grievances of the party MDCs, the UDP leader said that they are satisfied with the assurance made during the meeting.
“We will be giving a positive report to the party leaders on the outcome of this meeting,” Dkhar said.
Meanwhile, the KHADC CEM said that he respects the stand of the UDP MDCs.
He, however, admitted that as a leader, he was not perfect and there might be some omissions and commission from his side.
“But in the near future I will try my best to be accommodative as far as possible to the views and suggestions of my fellow MDCs,” Basaiawmoit said.
The KHADC CEM said that they have unanimously decided in the meeting that they would first resolve the problem within themselves.
“I am of the opinion the latest crisis should have been resolve within ourselves,” Basaiawmoit said.
Meanwhile, he said that both the HSPDP and KHNAM have decided to oppose the demand for the change of leadership.
“Both the parties have repose thier faith on the present leadership,” he said
KHNAM Parliamentary Party (PP) leader Latiplang Kharkongor said that the party is firm to oppose the demand for the change of leadership.
“We have nothing to question the leadership of Basaiawmoit,” Kharkongor added.