Sources reveal that efforts are underway to set up nearly 800 new MIC branches to bolster acting president G Palanivel
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While setting up new branches are a norm to any political party, MIC insiders claim that setting up new branches in an election year runs foul of the party constitution.
“This is an election year, so new branches, even if set up now, should not have the right to vote in divisional and presidential elections,” said a party leader who did not want to be named.
The MIC held its last internal election in 2009. The three-year term of the current office bearers, including acting president G Palanivel, came to an end in 2012.
The party, last year, postponed its polls in anticipation of the just concluded 13th general election from 2012 to until after the general election.
Last week, the party central working committee (CWC) – MIC’s highest decision making body – announced that branch elections will only start in December. This means the presidential and election of top national office bearers would only be held in 2014.
The MIC practices a unique system where the president is picked by 3,700 branch chairmen in a presidential election. Polls for other positions – deputy president, three vice presidents and 23 CWC members – are held three months after the presidential polls. Leaders for all these posts are picked by about 1,400 divisional delegates.
Act of betrayal
Sources claim that Palanivel is in the midst of setting up more branches to strengthen his position. Current deputy president S Subramaniam is widely tipped to challenge Palanivel for the top post in the presidential election.
“Palanivel cannot and should not extend his tenure in office through dubious means. An extension endorsed by the central working committee is akin to extending their own term in office,” said the leader
To prove this claim, he also furnished an open letter by the Bayan Baru (Penang) division chief K Sathiasilan to Palanivel, MIC secretary general A Sakthivel and all central working committee members dated May 20, 2013.
In the letter, the division chief claimed that a former division leader who left the party with nine MIC branches to join PKR prior to the 2008 general election has been allowed to come back into the party but this time with 30 branches.
In the open letter Sathiasilan claimed the former Bayan Baru MIC division chief M Ngnanasagaran left the MIC in 2008, together with nine branches which was a gross act of betrayal.
“Now he is being welcome again into the MIC with open arms by the president and rewarded with 30 new branches without the knowledge and consent of the division. The former secretary general S Murugesan claimed that the Prime Minister consented to grant the said 30 branches to Ngnanasagaran.
“What a crying shame. The Bayan Baru division, headed by me since 2008, has been loyally functioning and organisng events to keep the party relevant during these testing times after the division was abandoned by Ngnanasagaran. Why can’t the MIC president stand by a loyal party member who is willing to work and fight for the party and community?
“If the president can reward Ngnanasagaran with 30 branches why won’t the president approve the 29 branches I had applied for?. Please be fair, stand up for members who are loyal and committed to the party. Show us the right way forward. Lead us without fear and be ruled by fair play and justice. Instill in us loyalty to the party and its constitution,” Sathiasilan said in the letter.
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