Speaker calls UF, MDF meet

IMPHAL, January 17: Speaker S Dhananjoy today said he had convened a meeting of legislature party leaders of the ruling and Opposition groups on January 20 for the second time, after Governor Ved Marwah wrote to him asking him to summon the House immediately. The meeting is scheduled to start at 2 pm. The Speaker said he had called a meeting of the leaders of the Ruling United Legislature Front and the Opposition Manipur Democratic Front on January 15, but none from the Ruling side turned up. The Speaker served meeting notices to 13 Ruling and Opposition members in attempt to defuse the tension between the ruling and Opposition parties. Notices were served on among others Chief Minister W Nipamacha, Deputy CM L Chandramani, Law minister and FPM president Gangumei Kamei, O Joy, RK Dorendro, Radhabinod Koijam and Rishang Keishing, all of Opposition after the meeting the Business Advisory Committee may meet to discuss the issue of holding the session, an Assembly source said. The Speaker told PTI "I wish to summon the Assembly session as soon as possible as Governor Ved Marwa has written to me asking me to summon the House immediately". Dhananjoy Singh had admitted a no-confidence motion against the Nipamacha Government on the opening day of the winter session on December 1 last and adjourned the House sine die amidst ugly scenes. The meeting with leaders of the legislature wings of the two party UF and six party Opposition MDF besides the Congress, Dhananjoy Singh said, was necessary to come to a decision that an incident similar to the one on December 1, when five members had been injured, did not recur.