Shillong, Feb 05: People Democratic Front (PDF) leader P.N. Syiem said that mining will be one of the top priorities of his party and expressed confidence that the party will win from all the 26 out of 60 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections.

“We will take up mining issue for the sake of the people besides coming up with employment policy and others,” Syiem, also former MLA from Mawsyrnam told reporters after filing his nominations along with the other party’s candidates here on Monday.

He said that the PDF will concentrate on policy and law making in view that the state is facing law and policy crisis.

Slamming the incompetency of political leaders in the state, Syiem said the Prevention of Disqualification (Members of Legislative Assembly of Meghalaya) (Amendment) Act, 2015 passed by the Congress government is totally against the spirit of Article 191-192 of the constitution.

According to him, this clearly shows that the law machinery and legislators have failed miserably to legislate as per the constitutional mandate.

“The resignation of the parliamentary secretaries over night after their appointment was declared as ‘invalid’ by the Meghalaya high court is another act of incompetency in law making,” he said adding “I have been there ten years waiting for all the ministers who considered themselves very qualified to be in the cabinet to do something on these issues but that never happened.”

Expressing confidence to retain the seat, he further said that the PDF has taken up many issues in the District Council level including the Saitsohpen issue where the government in 1983 has declared that all British territories belong to the state government but we said that the lands belong to the people and also constituted the Saitsohpen Elaka.

He however refused to comment on the PDF post poll alliance and stated that this will be decided only after elections.

When asked, Syiem said, except for Sohra roads there are no proper roads in Meghalaya and that the governments are building roads base on favoritism.”