Bersih 2.0 lays out wish list for contesting parties in Melaka polls

 

Melaka’s Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Mohd Ali Rustam, dissolved the state legislative assembly yesterday. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Election reform group Bersih 2.0 has laid out its wish list for political parties in case an election is held in Melaka following the dissolution of its state assembly.

The Bersih steering committee said while it does not believe an election of any kind is appropriate during the Covid-19 pandemic, declaring an emergency in the state to delay elections is a more unwise move.

The group laid out three key reforms it wants to see the contesting parties adopt:

• Drawing up an enactment to dismiss assemblymen who jump parties or from one coalition to another;
• Amending the state constitution to mandate a vote of confidence in the chief minister on the first day of the first state assembly sitting and to only allow for a chief minister to be axed if a replacement with a suitable majority exists; and
• Enacting a new law to ensure fair and equitable community development allocations to all members of the state legislature.

Bersih said people need to punish political parties and elected representatives who are still suffering from the “Sheraton syndrome” and refuse to end a political turmoil out of selfishness.

The Sheraton Move refers to the backroom political manoeuvre that led to the ousting of the elected Pakatan Harapan government after 22 months in power in February 2020.

The current crisis in Melaka stems from the withdrawal of support for the state government by four assemblymen. This prompted Melaka governor Mohd Ali Rustam to dissolve the state legislative assembly yesterday. - FMT