PKR is gearing up for some tough negotiations with fellow Pakatan Rakyat member PAS, with both parties eyeing several of the same seats in the 13th general election, which is widely speculated to held this year.

While he did not name the constituencies, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said the seats involved were in areas with no racial majority, or what are referred to as "mixed constituencies".

azmin interview 260408 talking "It is no longer the old formula where PAS will contest in Malay majority areas, DAP in Chinese majority areas and PKR in mixed areas. Now, PAS also wants the mixed seats," Azmin ( right ) said this morning.

PAS has traditionally enjoyed support from the Malay community, but recent by-elections have proven that this too is becoming a challenge for the coalition.

For example, its Tenang by-election candidate Normala Sudirman recently lost on the back of an overwhelming 83.3 percent Malay support for BN.

A lot older and better organised than PKR, PAS is expected to come to the negotiation table citing its stronger presence in terms of numbers of members and divisions.

However, Azmin said, PKR would substantiate its claim to the seats PAS was seeking by showing that "PKR resonates better with voter sentiments", which, he claimed, had been gathered through the party's "detailed voter analysis".

Besides the negotiated seats, the Gombak parliamentarian added, PKR was sure of about 90 percent of the seats it wished to contest.

However, the party is still in the process of choosing its candidates. Division leaders nationwide have been given a March 20 deadline to come up with a shortlist of candidates to be sent to the central leadership.

PSM reps can be PKR candidates

Interestingly, Azmin said the party would consider candidates mooted by the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM).

The party has also held talks with Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), which in 2008 fielded three representatives under the PKR banner.

"We have no problem with them contesting under our banner again as they have shown very strong loyalty to the cause," he said.

hindraf crc scah talk 121208 jeyakumar However, Azmin added, PSM's stand that it is not part of Pakatan Rakyat, but "only friends" of the coalition, could confuse voters.

If the socialist party wanted to contest under the PKR banner, he said, it would need to adhere to the common policies of Pakatan.

PSM wants to use its own symbol in the coming general election, after finally being registered as a political party in June 2008, ending a 10-year struggle.

At its congress last year, PSM central committee member Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj ( above ) said the party could not be part of the Pakatan coalition as it promoted liberal capitalist ideals that went against the PSM ideology.

However, Jeyakumar added, "we are with them in the struggle to unseat BN".