Three-way fight looms, says Kedah DAP

(The Star) – Kedah DAP has not ruled out the possibility of a three-way fight in elections if its demand for more seats is not met. Its chairman Lee Guan Aik, however, said he still hoped to avoid three-way tussles.

“The matter is now at the central committee level. If what we get is not that different from what we have now, there is the possibility of three-way contests in some seats,” he said.

Lee said DAP wanted four new seats in addition to the Kota Darulaman seat that was won by Lee himself and the Derga seat, which it contested in a three-way tussle with PKR and Barisan Nasional in the last polls. Barisan won the Derga seat.

The seats that DAP wishes to contest are Lunas, Bakar Bata, Bakar Arang and Gurun state seats and the Alor Setar and Padang Serai parliamentary seats, all contested by PKR in 2008 general election.

The DAP and PKR at state level have not been able to agree on the seats and the matter has now been referred to their central leaders.

“In 2008 there was no coalition so we did not say much, but now it is a different scenario.

“This is a coalition government, thus the allocation of seats should be evenly distributed,” he said yesterday.

Kedah PKR chairman Datuk Wan Salleh Wan Isa said the seats that DAP wanted were those contested by PKR in 2008.

He said of the six that DAP wanted, the party won two state seats – Lunas and Bakar Arang – and one parliamentary seat – Padang Serai.

“We did not agree as the DAP also wants seats that we won. That was why we forwarded the matter to the top party leaders to decide,” he said yesterday.

Wan Salleh said discussions on seat allocation between PAS and PKR in Kedah had been finalised and the decision announced by PKR deputy president Azmin Ali during a meeting on Sunday night.

“Kedah PKR wants seats allocated based on 2008 general election seats distribution. However, if the central leaders think it should be otherwise, we will abide by the decision,” he said.

In 2008, PKR contested in seven parliamentary seats and 11 state seats while PAS contested in eight parliamentary seats and 24 state seats.

PKR won five parliamentary seats but two MPs became independents; and four state seats with two assemblymen becoming independents.

However, PKR gained one state seat after the Bukit Selambau independent candidate who won the seat joined them.

PAS won 16 state seats and six parliamentary seats in the 2008 general election.

There are a total of 36 state seats and 15 parliamentary seats in Kedah.