Bersih to finalise tribunal members by July 25

Electoral reform group Bersih aims to finalise by next week the panel members on the People's Tribunal that will investigate allegations of electoral fraud in the 13th general election.

"We are finalising the list. The main members have been identified and confirmed, there are just one or two left (who are yet to confirm)," Bersih steering committee member Andrew Khoo (right) toldMalaysiakini.

Khoo said the movement hopes to announce the panel members on July 25.

"If we can finalise by then, we will make an announcement. It's close to the end of July, so there is not much time left," he said.

The July announcement for the seven-member panel was targeted to enable the tribunal meet its September deadline to commence hearings.

Bersih today also called on members of the public to begin presenting evidence and statements to the tribunal secretariat.

In June, Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan said eminent lawyer Gurdial Singh Nijar, who has also served as a war crimes prosecutor, would head the tribunal.

However, she had declined to name the other members of tribunal, citing concern that there would be interference to block their appointments.

Though the tribunal will have no legal standing, Ambiga had said it would serve as a moral force to investigate disputes arising from the conduct of GE13.