Free passage idea mooted even for VPs
The enlarged voter base of 146,500 (instead of 2,500 delegates previously), makes for an interesting Umno elections this time.
The Umno elections, to be conducted for the first time under a new format, begin at the protracted branch level next month (an estimated 18,000 branches), followed by voting in the crucial 193 divisions from September which would ultimately decide on the standings of the party’s main office-bearers, including the top five.
By Syed Nadzri Syed Harun, FMT
Contest or no contest? Practically everyone is asking this of the momentous and defining Umno elections coming our way so soon after the rather stormy national vote.
Latest we heard there are moves to press for a no-contest ruling for the top five positions in the party — president, deputy and the three VPs. Is that good or bad? Or potentially double-edged like many political steps of late?
The Umno elections, to be conducted for the first time under a new format, begin at the protracted branch level next month (an estimated 18,000 branches), followed by voting in the crucial 193 divisions from September which would ultimately decide on the standings of the party’s main office-bearers, including the top five.
This will culminate in the main event, the general assembly, the date of which has yet to be fixed. But possibly in late October or November.
The outcome of the 13th general election last month has brought forth all kinds of opinions and comments regarding the Umno polls and the position of its top officials, one of which is that there should be no contest for the top posts including for the three VPs so as to “strengthen the party.”
The argument is that GE13 had become too divisive for the whole country and to some extent even for Barisan Nasional (BN). So Umno, as the pillar of the BN, must restore the strength by remaining solidly united — and that means avoiding contests for the main positions in the party elections.
Overall, BN floundered in GE13, winning only 133 of the 222 parliamentary seats, seven less than in 2008. In addition, there was a clear decline in support from the urban communities, causing Chinese-based BN partner MCA to decline representation in the government.
Statistically, Umno on the other hand recorded an improvement in the number of seats won, both at state and federal levels, hence the asssertion by some that Umno should remain steadfast and go for status quo.
This appears to be a hard bargain, firstly because while it has become quite common for the post of president or, to a lesser extent, deputy president, to be declared a no-contest zone by consensus, the fight for the three VP seats have over the years always been tough and trying, through a vote.
In the last round for instance, there were eight contenders but the ones who finally got elected were Hishammuddin Hussein, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Shafie Apdal.
It is hard not to see the same propensity for a keen contest again this time.
