SHILLONG: On the eve of the no-trust motion against the Congress-led MUA-II government and the subsequent resolution to be taken up the next day for the removal of Speaker AT Mondal, the HSPDP reiterated that the party was against a non-indigenous person occupying the chair of the Speaker.
Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, HSPDP president Ardent Basaiawmoit pointed out that when the election to the Speaker was held in 2013, the party had objected to the Congress fielding a non-indigenous person.
According to Basaiawmoit, being a tribal state, Meghalaya should have a tribal Speaker.
While Basaiawmoit’s nomination was not found valid when he contested the post of the Speaker in March 2013, the symbolic step was to send a signal to the Congress against the appointment of Mondal as Speaker.
Regarding the party’s stand on the no-confidence motion against the Congress-led government, Basaiawmoit said his party is supporting the motion not only to topple the government but also to raise the issues concerning the people of the State.
To a question, Basaiawmoit said all the 16 Opposition members are united to raise issues affecting the people.
“There are concerns over law and order problems, including a spurt in cases of abduction of women and children in the State. Moreover, the decline in economic activities of the people coupled with perennial traffic snarl are other issues which need to be taken up for discussion,” Basaiawmoit said.
The government has also failed to provide jobs to the educated unemployed youth in the State, he added.
