GTA’s polls decision only after PM sets the date

 

GTA chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad says the right time to hold the general election is after the monsoon season, when everything is safe.

PETALING JAYA: Gerakan Tanah Air will state its position on the general election only after the prime minister has sought royal consent to dissolve Parliament, GTA chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

He said the alliance was adamant that the national elections should not be held during the flood season.

“If they make an application to the King, we will make a decision on whether to object or support (holding the elections),” he said.

“We think that elections should be held when we are not facing major floods and when we are not facing strong winds so that everyone who votes is safe and can vote properly,” he said, according to Berita Harian.

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The right time for elections would be after the monsoon season, when everything is safe, he said.

Mahathir’s remarks were in response to the Umno Supreme Council’s decision last night that Parliament should be dissolved soon so that the general election may be held this year.

The party said Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is an Umno vice-president, had discretion on when to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament.

Under the constitution, elections must be held within 60 days of Parliament’s dissolution.

Mahathir, speaking at a GTA event in Cyberjaya, said Umno wanted to hold the elections at the end of this month or November because it was a favourable time for the party.

An election held during the annual flood season would only benefit Umno because many who support other parties, including GTA, would not be able to vote, he said.

“They will get support from the people they bribed,” he alleged. “They don’t care if this flood will cause many people to face difficulties.”

Mahathir was also asked about GTA’s plans to contest the elections if its application to be registered as a party is not approved. He said GTA has a “Plan B” but would not reveal the plan.

“We were told that there were 30 parties that requested to be registered. Perhaps this month they (Registrar of Societies) will approve our application. They said there was no issue in approving the application as all the rules and laws were followed,” he said.

GTA is an alliance comprising Malay-based parties, NGOs, academics as well as professionals.

The political parties in GTA are Mahathir’s Pejuang, Berjasa, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) and the National Indian Muslim Alliance Party (Iman). - FMT