MIC polls to be held ‘as soon as possible’

A MIC vice president guarantees that the party polls will be held soon.

PETALING JAYA: The long awaited MIC presidential election would be held “as soon as possible”, party vice president M Saravanan said today.

“Yes, we would be holding not only the presidential election but also election for other top national positions as soon as possible.

“The party central working committee decided last year to postpone all internal elections to after the conclusion of the general election. Now that the general election is concluded, we would have our elections at the soonest.

“We will start with branch and division elections. Then comes the presidential election and finally elections for other top national positions — deputy president, three vice presidents and 25 central working committee members. All this I expect to be done within this year,” he told FMT when contacted.

However, Saravanan said the party’s central working committee as its highest decision making body is yet to decide on the dates of the elections.

Yesterday sources told FMT that the party’s presidential election was long overdue and that current party chief G Palanivel’s term had expired.

The party held its last internal polls in 2009, with the presidential elections held in March that year. Each term is only for three years.

The party constitution allows the MIC central working committee to postpone elections in the party.

In the March 2009 presidential election, then party supremo S Samy Vellu retained the presidency for a record 11th consecutive term. He won the top post uncontested.

Under the party constitution, a presidential aspirant needs to obtain 50 nominations, with each nomination needing one proposer and five seconders, to be eligible to contest. All proposers and seconders must be branch chairmen.

The MIC president would be picked by about 3,700 branch chairmen nationwide in the event of a contest compared to other top national posts which are decided by some 1,500 divisional delegates who attend the party’s annual general assembly.

On borrowed term

Samy Vellu, who was works minister before his defeat in the 2008 general election in his parliamentary constituency of Sungai Siput, had been at the helm of the largest Indian-based political party since 1979, when he became the acting president after the death of then president V Manikavasagam.

He stepped down in December, 2010 paving the way for Palanivel to become MIC’s acting president.

Party sources have revealed that Palanivel was planning to extend the time limit and hold the presidential election only next year.

They say Palanivel had only “borrowed” Samy Vellu term, which effectively came to an end in March, 2012.

Saravanan also clarified that the party will not drag its feet in calling for its internal polls.

“We know how to run the party. We do not need former members or ex-leaders to teach us this. We take criticism but it must be constructive criticism. Tell us how to make the party better. Tell us how best we can attract Indian votes. You can tell us a lot of things.

“But do not run us down in the media. If you are angry with us, lets meet face to face and trash out our differences. We can even agree to disagree.

“That is not a problem. But do not make sweeping statements and try to destabilise the party,” the Tapah member of parliament said.