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Goa trust vote on Friday

Goa Governor, Lieutenant General (retired) J F R Jacob has directed Chief Minister Wilfred de Souza to seek a vote of confidence in his government on November 26.

The decision was arrived at a joint meeting between the chief minister and his coalition's partners the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party on one side and representatives of the Congress, Luizinho Falierio and Dayanand Narvekar on the other.

The meeting was arranged by the state governor in Panaji on Sunday evening.

The governor's decision follows the Congress' claim to form a new government in the state.

Goa chief minister Dr Wilfred de Souza, whose three-month old coalition government has turned into minority due to coup staged by rebels to form the Congress government, on his arrival from London today evening claimed that he can prove his majority in the House on 2 December. There is likelihood of de Souza expanding his cabinet with three independents immediately, including the two who are presently in the Congress camp. "I will immediately fill the vacancies created by three ministers who have resigned and gone", he told the journalists before leaving for Cabo Raj Bhavan. Political activity suddenly gained momentum after de Souza arrived from London today afternoon. While one "absconding" independent MLA emerged at the CM's bungalow, efforts are on to get the remaining two independents, who have been shifted to some unknown place along with other Congressmen. Though de Souza agrees that the unstable situation demands imposition of the President's Rule, he refused to admit that his government is in minority. He also dismissed the Congress demand to sack his government, stating that the governor should allow the floor-test. The Congress has already staked claim to form the government, claiming support of 21 legislators in the 40-member House. From among the 24 members of the coalition, four of de Souza's Goa Rajiv Congress members and one independent have presently switched over to the Congress camp. But relatives of independent MLA John Manuel Vaz have now filed a police complaint that he has been kidnapped while de Souza is also planning to capitalise strongman Congress leader Churchill Alemao's press statement that he (Alemao) has hidden them on an island. Hoping that Governor Lt Gen (Retd) J F R Jacob would instruct him to prove his majority in the House, de Souza also claims that four Congressmen as well as all the three independents would vote in his favour. "If the independent MLAs had signed in favour of the Congress yesterday, tomorrow they could sign in my favour without violating any act", claims Dr Willy. He also dismisses possibility of the four Congressmen getting disqualified for changing sides while voting, stating that he would have his speaker in the House by then. The House was actually summoned on 2 December to remove speaker Tomazinho Cardoz, belonging to the Congress camp. But it has to now first decide de Souza's fate as the political crisis has thrown up a hung Assembly due to the coup staged by the rebels. De Souza has also substantiated the allegation made by his transport minister Fatima D'Sa earlier that few mine owners in the state had stage-managed the whole show to dislodge his government. UNI

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