Umno party polls delayed until after next GE, says Zahid

The Umno president says the party constitution provides for a postponement of up to 18 months from the end of a leadership term or after a general election.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said a decision on whether the party’s top two positions will be contested will be made after the next general election.

KUALA LUMPUR:

 Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has confirmed that the party’s leadership elections due this year have been postponed.

When asked by reporters to confirm the deferment, Zahid said: “After the general election (GE16).” He did not elaborate, however the next general election must be held by mid-February 2028 at the latest.

Zahid said the postponement was made under a provision in the Umno constitution. “We have a period of 18 months. We have amended the Umno constitution, which allows elections to be held either within 18 months from the end of the election year or after the general election, whichever comes first.”

When asked whether the party’s top two positions of president and deputy president would be contested, Zahid reiterated: “We will wait until after the election, okay.

He previously stated he is open to contests for the top two posts. In 2023, Zahid and his deputy Mohamad Hasan retained their positions after the Umno general assembly adopted a motion for the posts not to be contested.

The Umno constitution allows party elections to be delayed by up to 18 months from the end of the current leadership’s term, or until up to six months after a general election. If a general election falls near the end of a leadership term, the polls can be delayed until six months after the general election, instead of holding them immediately.

In effect, Umno could have held its internal elections as early as mid-2027 under the 18-month rule. However, the next general election is expected before mid-February 2028. - FMT