Mizoram: Mizo National Front MLA served show cause notice for dual membership of district council

Mizoram’s main opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) legislator and chief executive member of the Chakma Autonomous District Council Rasik Mohan Chakma has been served a show-cause notice for holding dual positions simultaneously.

Assembly Speaker Lalbiakzama served the show cause notice to Chakma on March 22, following a complaint from a member of the district council.

In the show cause notice, a copy of which is available with PTI, the Speaker asked the MNF MLA why he should continue as a member of both the state legislature and the Chakma council.

Lalbiakzama informed him that Chakma is liable to be disqualified under the relevant sections of the existing Mizoram State Legislature Members (Removal of Disqualification) (Amendment) Act, 2006.

Chakma was asked to submit his reply on or before April 15.

The Speaker also mentioned that the Mizoram State Legislature Members (Removal of Disqualification) (Amendment) Act, 2006 has omitted Article 4 of the principal Act, which allowed a legislator to hold the office of chief executive member (CEM), executive member, chairman and vice chairman of any autonomous district council at the same time.

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In January, Chakma council member Doymoy Daveng Chakma of Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) had separately submitted a complaint to the governor and the assembly speaker, urging them to take action over the MNF MLA’s dual membership.

Doymoy had argued that Rasik Mohan Chakma can’t hold the office of CEM of the Chakma council as long as he is a member of the state legislature as per the existing law.

The MNF legislator claimed that he can’t be disqualified under the law as holding dual membership of both the state legislature and the district council does not imply an ‘office of profit’.

He said that he would submit his reply before the deadline.

The 60-year-old veteran politician has been the chief executive member of the Chakma Autonomous District Council since he successfully contested the local polls for the sixth time in May last year.

He also contested the state assembly polls in November last year and got elected from the Tuichawng seat on an MNF ticket.

Chakma had held the dual posts of CEM and MLA between 2003 and 2005. Later, he resigned as a legislator to retain his CEM post after the Mizoram State Legislature Members (Removal of Disqualification) (Amendment) Bill was passed in 2006.