Harapan: Elections not needed as GE14 result valid until 2023

 

Pakatan Harapan has reiterated its position that a general election is not needed as the mandate given by the people in the 2018 general election is valid until 2023.

This comes after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said in a televised address yesterday that he would dissolve Parliament once the Covid-19 pandemic ends.

In a joint statement, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, Amanah secretary-general Hatta Ramli and DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke Siew Fook stressed that the people do not want an election at this time.

"As such, we remain in our stance that an election is not needed since the mandate given by the people during the 14th general election remains valid until 2023.

"What is needed is the return of the mandate to the appropriate parties immediately," they said after Pakatan Harapan presidential meeting last night.

Meanwhile, they also expressed unhappiness that the independent special committee on the nationwide emergency remains "inactive" several weeks after it was announced by Muhyiddin.

"The Harapan presidential council also discussed the independent special committee on the emergency on Jan 12. (Our) list of representatives had been submitted on Jan 21, which is more than two weeks ago.

"However, until today we have not received any feedback about the activation of the committee. This is very sad because we were given an impression that this is an important committee (for us) to examine the current situation and come out with recommendations to end the emergency," they said.

On Jan 12, the government announced a nationwide emergency until Aug 1, following a sharp surge in Covid-19 cases.

Muhyiddin had said an independent committee made up of health experts and bipartisan lawmakers would be set up to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the national emergency.

Among the issues the committee would deliberate on would be the duration of the emergency.

Harapan submitted the name of three MPs to be part of the special committee. - Mkini