SPF government breezes through confidence motion

Imphal, March 12: The six-day old Secular Progressive Front, SFP government crossed its first major hurdle today without much ado, securing the vote of confidence of the state Legislative Assembly by a simple voice vote this afternoon in the state Assembly. The motion of confidence in the newly formed government was tabled in the House by senior Congress MLA Th Debendra soon after the traditional address to the House by the Governor of the State, Ved Prakash Marwah. The motion ran, ?this House expresses confidence in the present Council of Ministers led by Shri O Ibobi Singh?. Moving the confidence motion, chief minister O Ibobi Singh said, apart from taking up the SPF?s common minimum programme to the maximum extent possible, the SPF will take a stern view of corruption which was gripped the state like a chronic illness. He stated that he sought cooperation from the Treasury as well as Opposition benches in this respect, and declared that this was his own genuine personal appeal and not simply as a member of the government. He declared that he was open to the CBI conducting any kind of enquiry in the state, and added that he personally was ready to publicly declare his property. During the debate on the motion of confidence, BJP MLA Meinam Bhorot made a frontal attack on the government, declaring that it was formed not in people?s interest but in power interest. He said he had heard of Congress-Janata coalition, but never of a Congress-CPI coalition. Ridiculing the Congress and its breakaway groups like the NCP and the MSCP, he stated it was none other than the Congress which introduced overdraft in the state and sowed the seeds of corruption. Defending the motion of confidence, the CPI?s N Mangi declared that the present government was the need of the hour and it is mother Manipur which has provided the SPF government. He stressed that the CPI did not join the government for the sake of ministership but for the people. Opposition stalwart O Joy Singh, said that at this point, they cannot say they believed in the government, or that they disapproved of it outright, but stressed that it should work effectively. If the governing coalition was constituted only for ministerial berths or in pursuit of power, then they opposed it, he said. The motion of confidence was thereafter put to voice and the Ruling SPF MLAs prevailed with their ?ayes?. The Speaker TN Haokip, thereafter adjourned the House till March 18 next.