KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 — MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek will leave it to the party delegates to consider delaying internal polls scheduled for March, in tandem with other Barisan Nasional (BN) parties who fear snap polls are around the corner.
He said the MCA central committee decided today that delegates have up to February 20 to request for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to amend the party constitution to postpone the polls.
“We leave it to the delegates to decide if the EGM is necessary to postpone party elections that were supposed to be this year in March,” Dr Chua (picture) told a press conference.
“We agree to defer but we felt that in order to enable this EGM to be held and then to respect the central delegates, we felt that it would be better if the central delegates who request, because ultimately it is they who will determine,” added the president who himself was elected at an EGM last March.
The EGM is necessary to amend a provision in the party constitution which states that the party can decide to postpone elections only 42 months after the last general election.
Party elections are due this March, which is only 36 months after the last general election that took place in March 2008.
MCA secretary-general Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha had said any amendment to the constitution would have to be passed by the general assembly, meaning an EGM must be convened for that purpose.
“That specific purpose is to amend the party constitution to say that 36 months after the general election, the party election should be postponed if there is reason to believe that there may be a general election and the next party elections will be held six months after the general election. So, that is the amendment,” he said.
Dr Chua stopped short of saying that he anticipates the general election to be held this year.
“We don’t know, we’re just all speculating but we feel like we should not speculate on the date. We should put our house in order and everyone continues to serve and work as hard as possible,” he said.
Dr Chua said most state liaison committees, naming Kelantan and Pahang, as well as the MCA Youth, were in favour of postponing the party elections, either by amending the constitution or through a special resolution, which means an EGM has to be held in order to get the endorsement of the party grassroots.
However, concerns were expressed that any proposed amendment to the constitution to overcome the required period of 42 months might not obtain enough support as, under the party constitution, such an amendment needs the endorsement of at least two-thirds of the delegates.
Umno, Barisan Nasional’s biggest component party, has decided to postpone its party elections scheduled for this year by up to 18 months.
Gerakan also followed suit by postponing its scheduled elections from this year to the next.
In 2007, the MCA postponed its party elections at all levels until after the general election in March 2008, where Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat was elected president and Dr Chua, deputy president.
However, the party was embroiled in an internal crisis between the two
top leaders until fresh polls, only for the top or central leadership, were held in March last year where Dr Chua defeated Ong for the presidency.
But party still has to hold elections at all levels for a new term of three years as the polls last March for the top leadership were only for the remaining period of the current term which will end in October. - Malaysian Insider
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.