Aizawl January 21 (NEPS): In a press letter issued by the Mizoram opposition parties� co-ordination committee today, a committee labeled �Inquiry Committee on Alleged Mal-practices in the MLA General Election 2003� comprising of members from the Congress, Zoram Nationalist Party and the People�s Conference Party.

The opposition parties have also invited one representative from the five bigger NGOs of the state, the women�s organisation Mizoram Hmeichhe Insuikhawm Pawl (MHIP), the youth organisation Young Mizo Association (YMA), the student organisation Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), the senior citizen�s organisation Mizoram Upa Pawl (MUP) and the joint church organisation Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitu Committee (MKHC).

The opposition parties had alleged that there had been many anomalies in the conduct of the November 20 MLA elections among which were the issues of the still-birthed re-demarcation of the state�s constituencies by the Delimitation Commission and the inclusion of Bru displaced Bru voters residing inside Tripura.

The opposition also alleged that armed militants had used threats in several constituencies where independent candidate for the Suangpuilawn candidate and for the MNF candidates in Ngopa, Khawbung and Champhai constituencies.

Explaining their volte face on their demand for the resignation of the elected candidate for Suangpuilawn constituency, the opposition coordination committee said after careful consideration, they had considered the demand biased as no one had demanded the resignation of elected candidates from the other three constituencies where threats from militants had been felt.

Making a special point of the constituency from where chief minister Zoramthanga was elected, the committee said, �Armed militants identified as Zomi Revolutionary Army who had been campaigning for the MNF were actually arrested in Champhai.

As a demand for the resignation from this constituency and the others where threats and intimidations from militants had taken place were not made, the committee feels that the elected candidate from Syangpuilawn constituency should not be singled out.� Government to set up a parliamentary inquiry committee to look into alleged election mal-practices on December 20, 2003 failing which it would set up its own inquiry committee.

The opposition party�s request made in the first session of the new assembly that a joint parliamentary inquiry committee be set up had been ruled out by the ruling party.

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