For the politically inclined people, a brief study on the government of Mizoram will be of much interest. Like every other Indian state, Mizoram government is also headed by the Chief Minister. He leads council of ministers who is responsible to an elected legislature. The Governor of Mizoram is the head of the state.
The legislative assembly of Mizoram has 40 members. They are elected by the people of the state every five years. The High Court in Mizoram is situated at Guwahati. Aizawl, the capital of the state, has a bench of the Mizoram High Court.
In the present government of Mizoram, KK Paul is the acting Governor of the state. The honorable Chief Minister of the northeastern state of Mizoram is Pu Lalthanhawla.
The political history of Mizoram dates back to the mid 1950s. It was around this time when the people of Mizoram demanded the status of a state. For over three decades, the revolution continued and at last an agreement was signed between the Union Government and the Mizo National Front in the year 1986. On 20th February in the year 1987, Mizoram finally attained the status of a state.
There are two major political parties in Mizoram that dominate the political scenario of the state. They are the Mizo National Front and the Ephraim Union.
Mizo National Front, which is known as MNF in short, is a regional political party. MNF has come out of the Mizo Famine Front formed by Pu Laldenga. It was formed to protest against the inactivity of the Indian Government towards the famine-affected Mizo areas of Assam in the year 1959. In the same year the Mizo Hills was also destroyed by a devastating famine. The Mizo National Famine Front, originally formed to help the people suffering during the Mautam Famine, was afterwards converted into Mizo National Front on 22nd October in the year 1961. Pu Zoramthanga became the leader of MNF after the death of Laldenga. In the elections of 1998 and 2003, MNF won the state assembly elections, with Pu Zoramthanga as the Chief Minister.
The other main political party in the state of Mizoram is Ephraim Union. It is also a regional political party. It is known as EU and it belongs to the part of Mizoram that considers the Mizos to be the descendants of the tribes of Israel.
Elected candidates from different constituencies of Mizoram form the legislative assembly of the state. There are two major parties in this northeastern state that contest in these following Mizoram constituencies. Most of the assembly constituencies are reserved for the scheduled caste and tribes.
The constituencies in Mizoram are Chawngte, Tlabung, Tuipang, Saiha, Sangau, Lawngtlai, Buar-pui, Lunglei South,Lunglei North, Khawbung, Champhai, Khawha, Saituai, Tawipui,Vanva, Hnahthia, North Vanlaiphai, Khawzawl, Ngopa, Suangpuilawn, Ratu, Kawnpui, Kolasib, Bilk-hawthlir, Mamit, Phuldungsei, Sateek, Lokichera, Kawrthah, Serchhip,Serchhip, Lungpho, Tlung-vel, Aizawl North-I, Aizawl North II, Aizawl West I, Aizawl West-II, Aizawl West I, Aizawl West-II, Aizawl South - I, Aizawl South - II, Aizawl East-I, Aizawl East-II. There is one Lok Sabha Constituency in the state of Mizoram that is reserved for the Schedule Tribes along with one Rajya Sabha seat.
The Legislature of Mizoram is a very important part of the state government of Mizoram. The Legislative Assembly is the seat of the state's Legislature. Different elected candidates from the various constituencies of the state of Mizoram constitute its Legislature. Mizoram gained the status of a state on 20th February in the year 1987 and the first State Assembly was founded in month of March the same year. The initial strength of the assembly was 40 members. The Mizoram Legislative Assembly is a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association from the year 1987.
The Speaker of the northeastern state of Mizoram presides over the Legislative Assembly. Other than the honorable speaker, there are the members of Legislative Assembly who attend the assembly.
The Members of Legislative Assembly of Mizoram are unanimously chosen by the citizens of the state on the basis of adult franchise. Headed by the Chief Minister, the Legislative Assembly of the state comprises of forty members. The Members of Legislative Assembly are elected after every five years by the people of the state. Conducted under strict supervision of the Chief Election Commission and other important government officials, Mizoram holds free and fair elections for formation of a stable government.
Elected for a period of five years, the Members of Legislative Assembly are commonly referred to as MLA. The MLA's serve the general citizens of their constituency with utmost sincerity and dedication. Under the able guidance of the Members of Legislative Assembly, the state of Mizoram has achieved greater social, economic and political stability.
The executive of Mizoram comprises of the post of Governor, Chief Minister, Council of Minister, Speaker and other important functionaries who ensure efficient administration of the state. Headed by the Governor of Mizoram, the state has steadfastly moved towards progress in all spheres of public life. The functional head of the Government of Mizoram, the Governor plays an important role in the development of the state. The state of Mizoram is led by the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister is unanimously elected by the Members of Legislative Assembly of Mizoram.
The Chief Minister in consultation with his Council of Ministers takes important decisions regarding any social, political or economic issues of Mizoram. The Council of Ministers are allotted different portfolios for better administration of the state. Some of such portfolios are:
The judiciary of Mizoram helps in the swift disposal of criminal and civil cases. The judicial system of Mizoram is supported by Subordinate Courts of Aizwal Bench. Under the strict supervision of the High Court of Guwahati, the Aizwal Bench carries out the judicial duties with absolute transparency. Comprising of efficient lawyers, the subordinate courts of Mizoram provide the common masses with justice. The subordinate courts of Mizoram deal with all the cases pertaining to civil or criminal jurisdiction. The lawyers of the lower courts of Mizoram are appointed on the basis of the Mizoram Judicial Service Rules of 2006.
The concerned parties are free to apply in the High Court of Guwahati in case they are not satisfied with the decision of the subordinate court of Mizoram. On the basis of the data collected by the state government there were 1375 civil cases pending in the Subordinate Court of Mizoram on 31st December, 2006. In the field of criminal jurisdiction, there were 3088 pending cases on 31st December, 2006.
The honorable Chief Justice of the High Court of Guwahati has ordered the subordinate courts of Mizoram for a speedy delivery of justice in both the civil as well as the criminal cases. The highly qualified lawyers and judges of the Subordinate Court of Mizoram ensure absolute transparency while dealing with any case.
The separation of Judiciary from Executive in Mizoram has helped in the legal procedure of the state.
The government departments in Mizoram look after the administration of the state. The departments offer a systematic administration of the various social, economic and cultural aspects of the state of Mizoram.
The government of Mizoram has several departments that are headed by efficient administrative officers who take care of the proper implementation of the various decisions of the state government. Some of the important departments of Mizoram are:
Finance Department: The Finance Department of Mizoram takes care of the expenditure and revenue of the state. The department plays an important role in managing the finance of the state.
Planning and Programme Implementation Department: The Planning and Programme Implementation Department ensures proper and timely implementation of the various strategies undertaken by the state government in the Five Years Plan.
Home Department: One of the prominent departments of the state government, the Home Department looks after the law and order of Mizoram. General Administration Department- The General Administration Department ensures proper administration of the districts, takes important decisions regarding administration and writes the speech of the Governor during times of budget presentation.
Agriculture Department: The Agriculture Department implements several measures to enhance the productivity of the agricultural crops of Mizoram. The state government of Mizoram has equally distributed all the responsibilities among the various departments to ensure good governance. The administrative officials look after the needs and necessities of the common masses and implements the decisions of the state government. The division of responsibilities has helped Mizoram to progress towards further development.
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