Re-election most likely based on 'old' DAP delegates list

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the party's re-election exercise, pressured by the Registrar of Societies (ROS), would most likely be based on the "old delegates list".

A decision would be made on Thursday when the party's central executive committee (CEC) meets in Kuala Lumpur to iron out details of how to conduct the re-election, he added.

However, Lim declined to confirm on whether the same candidates, nominated by the delegates last year, would be contesting the polls. 

"I do not want to pre-empt anything. Let us meet on Thursday and decide on the matter," said the Penang chief minister in a joint interview with several English language dailies including Malaysiakini, at his office in Komtar yesterday.

Lim said this when asked whether the delegates would include those who were sacked by the party for contesting against a Pakatan Rakyat candidate in the 13th general election and the seven who allegedly brought "ill-repute to the party" with their complaints to the ROS over the validity of the CEC.

Since last year, the party has seen a surge in membership.

There were speculations that the fresh polls would see an intense campaign among new candidates to get themselves elected into the CEC - the party's highest decision-making body.

Several candidates such as Raub MP Mohd Ariff Sabri, better known as Sakmongkol Ak47, may contest in the polls, and Amran Ahmad, son of former DAP stalwart Ahmad Nor, has also made public his interest to join the fray.

But much of it remains unclear now, including whether the DAP would hold the fresh polls in Kuala Lumpur or Penang as it did in December last year, during its 16th triennial congress.

At that congress, 1,826 delegates picked 20 CEC members out of66 candidates who were nominated last year.

Technical glitch

When the results were announced, Lim's political secretary and now Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari did not make it to the CEC list, and was later appointed as assistant publicity secretary.

But embarrassed party leadersadmitted to a technical glitchtwo weeks later, with the new results showing Zairil making it to the top 20.

This led to several complaints lodged to the ROS, which resulted in its decision to invalidate the CEC, and the party was subsequently ordered to hold fresh polls.

Lim was also asked what were the party's plans to ensure that they do not botch the results again in the coming party polls.

"One thing for sure - to avert a similar crisis from recurring, the re-election would be monitored and certified by independent auditors," Lim said.

On the party's state elections, which were to be held this year, Lim said it would now be postponed in view of the coming CEC re-election.