Parliament to dissolve this month?

A marathon meeting yesterday suggests that BN is making its final preparations for the polls.

PETALING JAYA: Signs are beginning to show that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak may dissolve Parliament by the end of this month.

Media reports said today that the Barisan Nasional chairman had a marathon meeting yesterday with the presidents of all parties making up the ruling coalition.

Sources said the meeting, which ran from 12.30pm to 7pm, was aimed at finalising BN’s list of candidates for the 13th general election, which pundits call the “mother of elections” because they see the ruling coalition facing its toughest challenge yet.

In the last general election, BN lost its customary two-thirds majority and five states to the Pakatan Rakyat opposition pact.

Since he became prime minister in April 2009, Najib has gone all out in trying to restore BN’s image among voters by projecting himself as a moderate leader.

He has announced various initiatives to attract the support of non-Malays, which ditched BN in 2008 in droves.

This time around, the contending coalitions will contest for 222 parliamentary and 505 state assembly seats. Elections for the 71 seats in the Sarawak legislature are not due until 2016.

The Star quoted a minister’s aide as saying that Najib spent much of yesterday’s meeting scrutinising the lists of candidates submitted by BN member parties.

In 2008, BN won 140 parliamentary seats. It needs to win 148 to restore its traditional two-thirds majority. Anything short of that may put Najib’s job on the line. Pundits say hardliners in Umno may attempt to oust him.

The Star speculated that Najib might dissolve Parliament on March 25.