SHILLONG: As the Union Government approved the long pending amendments to Article 280 and the Sixth Schedule of the constitution, Meghalaya Government has made it clear that the upcoming Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) elections will be held as per the schedule.
It may be mentioned that the State Government has decided to hold the KHADC and JHADC elections on February 27
Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong on Thursday told reporters that elections process would go as scheduled and he had a detailed discussion with the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) over the phone soon after the amendments were approved
Admitting that it will be a lengthy process since the amendments will have to be approved in both the Houses of the Parliaments besides the Bill also requires the assent of the President, Tynsong said that now amendments would take place in anti defection law, number of seats in the District Councils
He,however, informed that there is a provision which says that the once the amendment become an act, its implementation can be done in the next House and the existing House of the District Council can continue
“The scope is that the existing House will continue and when fresh election comes, the new Act with its amendments has to be implemented,” Tynsong said
Tynsong, however, stated that the Government would change the date of the District Council elections only if there was some directions from the Central Government.
Recalling that the Cabinet took the decision to hold MDC elections after holding discussions with stakeholders, he added that there was a provision in the existing Sixth Schedule under which the House can be extended for a period of 6 months on two occasion
When asked about the allegations that the move to amend the Sixth Schedule is to douse the raging protest against Citizenship Amendment Bill in the region, he said that the issue should not be politicised unnecessarily and plenty of meetings were held between the stakeholders to discuss the amendments.