Umno will not amend its constitution to bar the president and deputy president posts from being contested in the forthcoming party election this year, according to its information chief Isham Jalil.
Met at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur today, Isham (above) said the party constitution stipulates that the two top posts must be contested in the party election.
He said he was aware that some leaders do not want the top posts contested, in order to protect the integrity of the party from being tarnished by the opposition parties.
"According to the party constitution, Umno cannot prevent any individual from contesting in the election, not even via a motion brought (to the general assembly). It needs an amendment to the party constitution.
"There is no discussion (in the party) to amend the party constitution for that purpose. If no one wants to contest, then the two top posts will not be contested," Isham added.
There have been calls within Umno for the two top posts to be contested following BN's poor performance in the last general election (GE15) - in which the country's once-largest coalition secured only 30 parliamentary seats out of 222.
The president and deputy president posts are being held by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Mohamad Hasan respectively.
Earlier today, Zahid said he is open to being challenged by anyone who aspires to hold the party's number one position in the forthcoming party election.
Zahid, who is also deputy prime minister and rural and regional development minister, said it was to give an opportunity to about 160,000 delegates to choose the party's leadership, especially for the posts of president and deputy president.
It is up to the Umno representatives to make their own choices, he added, as well as to determine the direction of the party to ensure Umno remains relevant on the political stage.
Elaborating further, Isham said some leaders did not want the two top party posts to be contested, given that some outside the party wanted to destroy the harmony in Umno.
"I went to see state leaders and there was a motion that objected to the two top posts not being contested," he said.
"It's not us who spoke of (two top posts not being contested), but the people in Perikatan Nasional, who want us to fight against ourselves," Isham added. - Mkini
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