Khalid needs 4 exco members, 28 votes

Never mind what the Pakatan Rakyat cheerleading team and the political pundits say; Khalid Ibrahim has the constitution on his side. Until there is a confidence motion in the Selangor State Assembly, he remains state assemblyman for Port Klang, and menteri besar as appointed by the Sultan.

No vote outside the assembly matters in constitutional terms. All that matters is whether enough members of the assembly support him.

Before Khalid was sacked by PKR

There are 56 members of the Selangor assembly. As the speaker does not vote except when there is a tie, Khalid needs 28 votes for a show of confidence. Who those 28 people are is up to him. The law does not care.

He needs an Executive Council to help him administer the state. He only needs to appoint a minimum of four members and a maximum of 10.

The current Exco is composed of assembly members from the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. But the constitution is blind to political parties. All that is required is four members of the state assembly willing to serve in the Exco.

If all the current Pakatan Rakyat members resign from the Exco, Khalid needs to find four others from among the 56 ADUN. And perhaps a new Speaker.

Everything else is pure political chess. -uppercaise