PKR polls must go on, says election chief after complaints

 

PKR members are voting in a hybrid election, casting physical ballots at voting centres or through the party’s ADIL app.

PETALING JAYA: The PKR election committee has defended the electoral process for the party elections, currently being held in hybrid form, and insisted that the polls must go on, following complaints about technical problems in some areas.

PKR election chief Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the committee had taken steps to minimise any avenues for manipulation or fraud. The measures included doing away with the QR code and using indelible ink.

Zaliha said PKR members would be able to review and confirm their votes, as their ballots are stored online.

“However, there are no systems that are 100% foolproof,” she said in a statement tonight, responding to complaints raised by vice-president Rafizi Ramli, who is a candidate for the deputy president’s post.

She said it was the first time the committee was running a hybrid election, and it was the committee’s responsibility to see through the process. She gave an assurance that the committee would look into Rafizi’s complaints.

Rafizi and party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail are both contesting the deputy presidency, which became vacant in March 2020 when Azmin Ali left the party and later joined Bersatu.

The PKR elections kicked off on Friday and are being conducted on a staggered basis through various states for members to cast their ballots. Online voting is also available through the party’s ADIL app.

Zaliha said the committee could also declare results void and call for a recount if issues arose at the voting centre or stemmed from the ADIL app.

“If such a need arises, then the party’s leadership and grassroots must accept the committee’s decision to ensure transparency of the elections.”

It was recently reported that balloting at the Padang Serai division in Kedah had to be postponed after party officials received objections from members dissatisfied with technical problems.

Rafizi, who previously claimed there were 54,000 “dubious” party members who are eligible to vote in the party elections, also agreed there were technical problems during physical voting in some places. - FMT