Top guns fail to make it to veep posts in PKR polls

Former PKR leader Dr Chandra Muzaffar described the party elections as seriously flawed, adding that there seemed to be no proper investigations to verify widespread allegations of voting manipulation.

Reports by SIRA HABIBU, LEE YUK PENG and M. MAGESWARI, The Star

Big names tumbled and those from Sabah and Sarawak were wiped out in the scramble for top positions in PKR amidst widespread allegations of vote rigging.

For the vice-president’s posts, the top guns who failed were incumbent R. Sivarasa, Selangor executive councillors Dr Xavier Jayakumar and Mohd Yahya Sahri, former Sabah chief Ansari Abdullah and Sarawak chief Baru Bian.

Although the party’s 400,000 membership roll is said to comprise 50% Malays, 23% Indians, 12% Chinese and 15% from Sabah and Sarawak, the new top line-up did not reflect the multi-ethnic composition.

The official results of the month-long PKR polls are only scheduled to be released on Sunday, but the party is already abuzz over the results.

According to officials, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, Batu MP Tian Chua, Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh and Penang Deputy Chief Minister 1 Mansor Othman are the new vice-presidents.

They defeated 13 candidates including four from Sabah and Sarawak.

Outgoing vice-president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and Johor chief Datuk Chua Jui Meng had opted out of the vice-presidential race. Another incumbent vice-president, Dr Lee Boon Chye, also decided not to defend his position.

Azmin, Perak PKR chief Mustaffa Kamil Ayub and Dr Lee were elected as VPs in the last party elections, while Jeffrey and Sivarasa were appointed.

The party had amended its constitution to expand the positions of elected VPs from three to four, and appointed VPs from two to three.

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who had initially proven to be a formidable opponent to deputy president candidate Azmin Ali, opted out of the race halfway citing election irregularities.

Azmin has breezed through in the contest for the deputy president’s post, securing more than 19,000 votes, while his sole opponent Mustaffa secured about 4,500 votes.

Former PKR leader Dr Chandra Muzaffar described the party elections as seriously flawed, adding that there seemed to be no proper investigations to verify widespread allegations of voting manipulation.

“I can’t think of any other party election in the country’s political history that was marred by such widespread allegations of fraud and manipulation.

“It is a shame that the party leadership did not investigate the allegations,’’ added Dr Chandra, who is a professor of global studies at USM.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said 60% of the new line-up in the 218 divisions were new faces.

“We see more young faces and women taking up leadership positions at divisional level,’’ he said.

He also said that almost 30% of members had exercised their right to vote in the country’s first direct elections in a party.

Sivarasa, who is Subang MP, said the party president would appoint three officials as VPs to “balance the line-up”.

“It is impossible to have a line-up that reflects racial composition in a democratic election system.

“Furthermore, there were five Indians contesting VP positions, thus further splitting the votes,’’ he said.