DAP postpones party elections to prepare for likely polls
By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider
The DAP announced today that it will postpone its party elections for a year to prepare for the impending general election, widely speculated to be held by early next year.
Following the decision, the party’s congress and national elections, scheduled to be held by August next year, will be moved to August 2012.
Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (picture) told a press conference in Parliament today that the party decided to invoke Clause VIII of its party constitution at its central executive committee (CEC) meeting last night.
“The DAP CEC is compelled to consider the decisions by both Umno and MCA to postpone party elections next year as a clear signal that snap elections will likely be called by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak next year,” Lim said.
Umno president Najib had recently announced the ruling party’s decision to postpone its elections for 18 months, in the clearest sign yet that snap polls would be called by early next year.
The prime minister has however brushed off speculation of snap polls, claiming that the move was to help the party revitalise and strengthen itself.
At its central committee meeting yesterday, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the party had discussed the possibility of postponing its party elections, which are due in March.
He said the party’s election steering committee, chaired by secretary-general Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, would have to study the matter first as the party’s constitution would have to be amended before any decision could be made.
