Najib signals nearing polls, says machinery upbeat

Parliament will automatically dissolve on April 28 and elections must be held within 60 days from the date. – File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 - Umno’s machinery is upbeat and is stepping into the final gear of its polls preparation, its chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak revealed today, in yet another indicator that he could call for elections soon.

Najib said an audit conducted on its machinery recently produced a “satisfying” report but vowed to continue with efforts to beef up its polls apparatus.

“We have received the audit report on our machinery and from there I can say our preparations is satisfying.

“At the same time I hope the efforts to strengthen our preparations will continue to be carried out by leaders at the state level,” he told reporters after chairing his party’s supreme council meeting here.

The Umno president also revealed that the party had agreed for the disciplinary committee to begin the process of cleansing the party from elements that could sabotage its polls preparations.

Najib said the party had already appointed the panel members all of whom hold no positions in the party, a move to ensure that there is no conflict of interests.

“The panel will monitor and produce a report to ensure that actions that could damage the party would be addressed immediately,” he said.

Last year, Najib said Umno plans to weed out internal saboteurs to prevent what the party president called a repeat of the sabotage in Election 2008 that led to Barisan Nasional’s (BN) worst ever electoral performance.

In Election 2008, BN lost its traditional two-thirds parliamentary majority and ceded five states to parties that eventually formed the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition pact. It later regained control of Perak following a series of defections.

BN is expected to march into Election 2013 no longer as firm favourites as political pundits believe an upset is not possible considering the vastly transformed political landscape since 2008.

Parliament will automatically dissolve on April 28 and elections must be held within 60 days from the date.