Adelbert ready to quit as KHNAM chief for party’s sake

SHILLONG, June 14: Lone Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) legislator Adelbert Nongrum on Tuesday said that he was ready to step down as president of the party if former leader Pyndapborthiaw Saibon was ready to resolve their differences amicably.
“I am ready to work together with Saibon to strengthen the party’s prospect ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls,” Nongrum told reporters, while urging Saibon and his supporters to attend a meeting at his residence on June 17.
According to him, the meeting will attempt to resolve the differences once and for all.
He recalled that they had met on March 25 this year to initiate a dialogue to resolve their differences considering the larger interest of the party.
Asserting that he never wanted to become president of the party, Nongrum said it was circumstances which compelled him to take up the responsibility following the differences that had emerged during the election to the district councils in 2014.
It may be mentioned that there has been a tug of war between Nongrum and Saibon over the party leadership issue. Saibon had accused Nongrum of forcefully claiming the post of president and had asked the legislator to produce the letter issued by the Election Commission of India recognising him as president of KHNAM.
According to Saibon, the High Court of Meghalaya had urged the ECI to examine the conflict within the party in details.
Saibon had stated that the ECI had sent its last letter to him as well as Nongrum on November 20, 2020, to amicably resolve the crisis between themselves.
Saibon also maintained that he was unanimously elected president while Nongrum was elected as working president during the party’s general convention on January 27, 2017.
The KHNAM was founded in 2002 by Paul Lyngdoh and will observe its 20th foundation this year.