Ambiga not foreseeng more rallies in future
(Bernama) — Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, chairman of the illegal Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), does not foresee more rallies taking place.
This is, despite PAS saying it would push Bersih to hold another demonstration, should the government ignore demands for electoral reforms.
In an interview published by Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on its website today, the former Bar Council president, asked if the group would hold more rallies, said:
“I do not see it happening in the near future.”
On an assertion that Bersih was just a front for opposition parties as Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim played a prominent role in Saturday’s rally, Sreenevasan said it was unfair (to state as such) because the group had invited all political parties, including Barisan Nasional (BN), to support the rally.
“We invited all political parties, including BN, to support us. How can you say the cause for free and fair elections is only for the opposition?
“It is for everybody. Pakatan Rakyat members are also citizens of this country. Are they not entitled to support a movement for free and fair elections?,” she asked.
Despite being denied police permit, Bersih went ahead with an illegal rally last Saturday.
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Bersih 3.0 if no electoral reforms before GE, says PAS
(The Malaysian Insider) – PAS has called on the Najib administration to bow to Bersih’s eight-point reforms to the electoral system or face a repeat of the rally that plunged the capital into chaos on Saturday.
Party deputy president Mohamad Sabu said today it would hold another rally before the next general election if the Election Commission (EC) failed to implement the reforms demanded by the coalition of 62 NGOs.
“The EC should act. If there is no action by the next election, we will suggest that Bersih holds another demonstration,” he said at a press conference.
Despite Bersih claiming that 50,000 had poured into the city last weekend, Mohamad (picture) threatened a larger rally, stating that “PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang has already said this is only the beginning.”
He also said the Islamist party would ask Bersih to declare Saturdays “Bersih Day” where members of the public should wear yellow to show their support for free and fair elections.
Asked if he was calling for the public to disobey the law, Mohamad said “the yellow shirts are only illegal to Umno but no court has declared them unlawful.”
He added that the EC could already implement part of the demands set out by the electoral reform movement such as cleaning up the electoral roll, reforming postal votes, using indelible ink and providing free access to the media for all parties.
Bersih had claimed a turnout of 50,000 for the street demonstration which went ahead without police permission, resulting in nearly 1,700 arrests, leaving dozens injured and the spouse of a PKR leader dead.
The electoral reform movement decided to take to the streets despite previously accepting Najib’s offer to move the street rally to a stadium after the government refused to allow the gathering to take place in Stadium Merdeka.
This came after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong called on the government a week ago to execute its duties fairly and for it to meet Bersih and discuss the issue of free and fair elections.
Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin had intervened after a police dragnet that had seen over 100 arrests, the raiding of the Bersih secretariat and confiscation of Bersih-related materials in the space of a week.
The first Bersih rally in November 2007 also saw tens of thousands being dispersed by police with tear gas and water cannons.
It was said to have been a key factor in a general election called just four months later, which saw BN losing its customary two-thirds hold of Parliament, ceding 82 seats and five state governments in its worst showing ever at the polls.
