Warisan to hold party election in July or August

 Shafie Apdal leaves it to Warisan members to decide if the presidency should be contested or if he should be reelected unopposed.

Warisan president Shafie Apdal (centre) said the party polls need to be held sooner to fill posts vacated by some who had resigned. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Warisan is planning to hold its next party election in July or August, although its constitution only requires  it to be held by the middle of next year.

Warisan president Shafie Apdal said the party polls needed to be held sooner to fill posts vacated by some who had resigned, or to replace those who had voiced their intention to step down from their positions.

This would allow younger leaders to step up in the chain of leadership, Borneo Post reported him as saying.

“At the end of the day, we don’t want to be caught in a situation where the party is not being run properly,” he said.

Shafie also said it was up to Warisan members to decide if the party presidency should be contested or if he should be re-elected to the position unopposed.

The former Sabah chief minister played down concerns that the party polls could lead to internal division, saying it was normal to have friendly rivalries in party elections.

“The important thing is that the vehicle is still intact,” the Semporna MP said.

Shafie has been president of Warisan since the party was founded in 2016, with former international trade and industry minister Darell Leiking serving as his deputy since then as well.

The party won 25 of the 73 seats up for grabs in the Sabah state  election held last Nov 29, and the polls ended with no party attaining a simple majority. - FMT