Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 21 2009:
With the electioneering of the political picking up for the two Lok Sabha seats in Manipur, the seating MP of the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency, Mani Cheranamei has been declared as official candidate of People's Democratic Alliance (PDA), a newly political party formed with an objective of fulfillment of "Hill People of Manipur" like the Naga unification among others.
With the announcement of fielding of Mani Cheranamei who contested and won the election to the 14th Lok Sabha election five year back as official candidate of the PDA, its President M Maringa also released the manifesto of the party in Imphal today.
With the declaration of fielding the seating MP, so far two parties announced fielding their candidatures in the outer seat of the state as Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has also announced LB Sona as party candidate.
Many parties like, Manipur People Party (MPP), National People's Party (NPP), Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) etc.
has extended support to the LB Sona haling from Churachandpur district.
Even though CPI, Manipur has not taken any decision to field its candidates in the outer constituency, Congress is yet to choose its candidature but expectation of fielding current Cabinet minister of Power T Phungjathang in the Congress led Secular Progressive Front (SPF) government, who is also from Churachandpur district is very high.
As BJP, CPI and MPP had already announced the names of their candidates to be fielded in the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency, the elections to the two Lok Sabha seats in Manipur will be multi-corner election as observed by the political observers in the state.
BJP had declared former chief minister, W Nipamacha as its candidate, CPI decided to field Dr M Nara, former minister of state as party candidate while MPP is fielding Prof.N Mohendro, a new face to contest the election.
MPP has got support from NCP, NPP, MSCP etc.
Manipur will witness two phase poll on April 16 for the No.2-Outer Manipur Parliamentary (ST) Constituency and April 22 for the No.1-Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency.
Speaking at the manifesto releasing function the seating MP, Mani Cheranamei said that he could not performed some of the promises he had kept to the people during the last election during the last five years even though many of them had been converted into action.
So, I wanted to fulfill the promises as representatives of the people in the next term.
He said, the promises like operation of helicopter services in the hills areas for better connectivity, repeal of Armed Forces Special Power Act, effort to bring an end to the 11 year old peace talk in fruitful manner, could not be fulfilled during his five year tenure.
If he be elected for the second term he will continue to struggle to achieve the promises, he added.
Elaborating his promise on bringing an end to the Indo-Naga problem, he said, Centre should take it seriously as people of the region wanted prevalent of peace forever with an amicable solution to the Naga problem.
While expressing strong condemnation to the "brutal murder" of the SDO, Kasom Khullen of Ukhrul, Dr Kishan and his two co-staffers, he asked the people to cooperate with the government decision and extend support to the authority in CBI inquiry in delivering justice of the case.
He also said that everybody must condemn such heinous and barbaric act of murder of SDO and his two sub-ordinate staffs.
Meanwhile, the manifesto of the PDA which promised to 21 points programme to the people stated that the party has been established with firm commitment of protecting the lands, forests and mineral resources of the Hill People of Manipur.
To ensure the democratic rights of the people, preserved the identity of the marginal nationalities with due respect to their aspiration and to facilitate the fulfillment of the same, like the Naga unification and that of other indigenous people of the state, and introduction of land reforms (like land laws for the hill areas) as to face the changing time by tribal people themselves without extending the MLR and LR Act of 1960 in the Hill Areas of the state and preserve customary laws and practices are the promises of the PDA contained in the manifesto.