Non-elected member cannot become CEM: Edmund

SHILLONG: There is opposition to a non-elected member becoming CEM in GHADC after NPP proposed the name of former legislator Conrad Sangma as the leader of the Garo Hills Progressive Alliance (GHPA).
The former CEM of GHADC Edmund K Sangma said over phone from Garo Hills on Monday that the district council rule does not allow a non-elected member to become CEM in GHADC.
“The post of CEM is never nominated unlike state legislature or Parliament. It is an elected post and any duly elected member should file nomination papers to be further elected as the CEM”, Sangma pointed out.
Sangma said that in the case of any nominated member, it is the task of the Executive Committee (EC) to suggest the name, but for this, an elected CEM should form the EC first.
According to Sangma, the rule 21 (1) of the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, 1951 ( Amended) says that the “CEM shall be elected by the District Council”.
The newly formed Garo Hills United Alliance comprising four Independents and an NCP member also opposed to the idea of an non -elected member governing the elected members which, according to them is an insult to the mandate of the people who have cast their votes to select their own leaders or representatives.
“How could a person who did not even contest become a CEM ? they questioned.
According to the alliance, the MDCs of NPP had exposed  their incompetence.
“They (NPP MDCs) are all incompetent because of which P.A. Sangma had to bring in his own son Conrad Sangma who is supposed to be better than all the elected members of the NPP or that despite being elected they can simply be dictated”, the alliance said.