Thomas Sangma elected unopposed as Meghalaya Speaker
NPP legislator from North Tura and former Rajya Sabha member Thomas A Sangma on Thursday was elected unopposed as the 18th Speaker of the eleventh Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
This was after three opposition parties – Congress, TMC and Voice of the People’s Party — did not field any candidate.
Protem Speaker Timothy D Shira, who chaired the proceedings on the concluding day of the special Assembly session, said, “Since only one nomination paper was received by the office of the Assembly, I hereby declare Thomas A Sangma as speaker.”
In his speech, Thomas Sangma thanked the members of House for unanimously electing his as Speaker and said, “It is with great humility and deep sense of honour I take this chair as Speaker…I would submit to the wisdom of all the members of this august House who have found me fit to occupy this post.”
Reminding that the state assembly has the reputation of being the most disciplined House in the country, the Speaker said, “I am sure we will continue to maintain this tradition coupled with a good standard of debates. I would therefore want to facilitate good free flowing debates with the desired outcome of better policies and laws. I expect the members to debate vigorously but maintain mutual respect.”
Requesting all members not to abuse their parliamentary privileges, Thomas said, “I will be impartial and fair but I will also be firm. Therefore, let us represent our public with dignity, purpose and honour. Let this assembly continue to be a living embodiment of nation building, progress, solidarity and unity.”
Earlier while congratulating the newly elected speaker, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma expressed confidence that the former parliamentarian will do justice to the chair.
“With all the experience you have had I am sure you will do complete justice to the post of a Speaker,” he said.
Talking about the much needed reforms, Conrad said, “I am sure with this vast experience that you have I am sure you will be able to bring in a lot of change and lots of improvement in the overall functioning of the House.” He also welcomed the decision of the Speaker to organize a training session for the newly elected MLAs.
All three former Assembly Speakers – Charles Pyngrope, Metbah Lyngdoh and AT Mondal – also congratulated the newly elected Speaker.
Charles said that the Speaker is a true sentinel of the tradition of parliamentary democracy. “The Speaker must lead by wisdom tempered by humility, by justice tempered by empathy and reason tempered by passion.”
He said that the role of the Speaker is very critical in the context of harmonizing a fractured mandate and a coalition government adding “We are confident that under your intelligent, informed and sagacious capabilities and strong leadership, our house will always be upheld as one that always conduct itself with the utmost decorum and dignity.”
Metbah on the other urged the Speaker to follow up for the speedy completion of the new Assembly building.
Cabinet Minister Paul Lyngdoh urged the newly elected Speaker to ensure members “enter a sacred place of learning not a secret place of earning”. He said anyone thinking that it is a secret place of earning should be removed.
Paul said that when Thomas entered the House he did not look like a doubting Thomas (from the Bible).
“I am also very sure of this that the moment you occupy that chair you will remove your party jersey (and become) a non-political personality…I am sure the leader of the House and opposition will get into one and be guided by a non-doubted Thomas of the House,” he said.
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