Some 230,000 Umno delegates from the Youth, Women and Puteri wings will decide their new central and divisional leadership at the party polls today.
Delegates began registering themselves at their respective divisions beginning 8am this morning and will first deal with the usual order of business in a regular general assembly.
After that, the delegates, many of whom are likely first time voters under the newly expanded party electoral system, will receive a briefing on how to vote before ballot papers are issued.
Some 100,000 delegates will decide the Umno Wanita leadership while the Umno Youth and Umno Puteri will see some 70,000 and 50,000 delegates voting respectively.
Voting for the Umno supreme council, including the hotly contested vice presidencies, will only take place on Oct 19.
Even though today's vote does not include the topmost Umno leadership, it will be a litmus test for the country's largest and most powerful party, and today's results may also be an indication for next week's supreme council vote.
The Umno Youth contest will be a gauge between progressive and conservative ideas as incumbent chief Khairy Jamaluddin has steadfastly defended his self-professed liberal approach while his opponents are campaigning on a platform of returning the wing to its Malay nationalist roots.
The Youth wing vote today will also determine how far former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's influence still overshadows the party, as one of the challengers Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi is seen as the face of conservative forces aligned to the prime minister and party chief of 22 years.
The other three contenders are Syed Rosli Syed Harman Jamallulail, Abd Karim Ali and Irwan Ambak Khalid Izhar.
Delegates began registering themselves at their respective divisions beginning 8am this morning and will first deal with the usual order of business in a regular general assembly.
After that, the delegates, many of whom are likely first time voters under the newly expanded party electoral system, will receive a briefing on how to vote before ballot papers are issued.Some 100,000 delegates will decide the Umno Wanita leadership while the Umno Youth and Umno Puteri will see some 70,000 and 50,000 delegates voting respectively.
Voting for the Umno supreme council, including the hotly contested vice presidencies, will only take place on Oct 19.
Even though today's vote does not include the topmost Umno leadership, it will be a litmus test for the country's largest and most powerful party, and today's results may also be an indication for next week's supreme council vote.
The Umno Youth contest will be a gauge between progressive and conservative ideas as incumbent chief Khairy Jamaluddin has steadfastly defended his self-professed liberal approach while his opponents are campaigning on a platform of returning the wing to its Malay nationalist roots.The Youth wing vote today will also determine how far former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's influence still overshadows the party, as one of the challengers Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi is seen as the face of conservative forces aligned to the prime minister and party chief of 22 years.
The other three contenders are Syed Rosli Syed Harman Jamallulail, Abd Karim Ali and Irwan Ambak Khalid Izhar.
Wanita contemplates NFC baggage
On the Umno Wanita front, it remains to be seen if delegates will endorse incumbent chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil whose family is embroiled in the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal for which her husband is facing a criminal breach of trust charge .
Her challengers are Maznah Mazlan and Raihan Suleiman.
The Puteri Umno contest is less heated, as its incumbent chief Maznah is vacating the seat due to age constraints and two new faces, Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and Jamilah Hanim Othman will go head to head for the top post.
[More to follow]
Her challengers are Maznah Mazlan and Raihan Suleiman.
The Puteri Umno contest is less heated, as its incumbent chief Maznah is vacating the seat due to age constraints and two new faces, Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and Jamilah Hanim Othman will go head to head for the top post.
[More to follow]
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.