SHILLONG, FEB 28: The three regional parties- Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), United Democratic Party (UDP), Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) –along with the lone and newly Independent MDC formed the ‘All Regional Parties’ Alliance (ARPA) and will stake-claim to form a non-Congress Executive Committee (EC) in Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) headed by Ardent B Basaiawmoit, HSPDP Nongkrem MLA and MDC, who has been made its chairman.
The formation of ARPA took place on Friday after a joint parliamentary party meeting of all the three regional parties held on Friday.
The meeting was attended by 18 newly elected members from Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), United Democratic Party (UDP), Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) and James Sylliang, an Independent from Mawhati constituency in Ri Bhoi District.
“The ARPA have decided to stake claim in order to form the new executive committee in the KHADC on Monday next,” Basaiawmoit, ARPA chairman and designated KHADC chief executive member told reporters after the meeting.
The ARPA have also resolved to propose his name as its leader and designated Chief Executive Member (CEM) of KHADC.
The meeting has also elected KHNAM Nongthymmai MDC Latiplang Kharkongor as the secretary and all MDCs as members.
The three main regional parties – UDP, HSPDP and KHNAM – won 17 seats, enough to form the EC in the 30-member KHADC.
While the Congress emerged as a single largest party winning 10 seats, the HSPDP also did well to clinch seven seats followed closely by the UDP, the main Opposition in the state assembly, with six seats and KHNAM four. The NCP and an Independent candidate won one seat each.
However, in the absence of the anti-defection act in the district council, one can never be sure of whether any alliance can retain the EC for five years term as the Congress will certainly try its best to play spoilsport and is likely to indulge in horse trading.
Reacting to this query, Basaiawmoit said he was confident that the regional parties’ alliance will last its five years’ term. He said, “I hope and am confident that the alliance will last till end of this term.”
Though the ARPA has not taken decision to have in place a binding mechanism to dissuade its members from defecting , Basaiamoit however said, “We don’t have any binding mechanism to restrict any member from defecting to other parties but we believe in ‘gentleman’s word’ which is an ideology followed by our ancestors. That is why we don’t feel that there is a need to have any mechanism.” – By Our Reporter
Hopefully the elected indepedent MDC from Jaintia hills will work together with UDP to form the executive committee at JHADC.