Internal disciplinary problems and the recent spate of defections are expected to dominate the upcoming 2009 PKR annual congress, to be held later this month.

Party president Dr Wan Azizah Ismail is expected to address these two issues at length during her presidential address.

NONE “These issues will be definitely be covered and will be debated,” said party deputy secretary-general Sharifah Shahidah ( middle in pix ) during a press conference at the party headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

However, these topics would not raised in form of any resolutions, said Sharifah.

PKR has been hit by a string of defections which leading to the relegation of the party into becoming the second largest component of the opposition bloc.

DAP now holds the top spot with 29 seats, followed by PKR (24) and PAS (23).

Postponed from last year

azlan Since February, four PKR MPs have quit the party and declared themselves independent while Kulim Bandar Baru MP Zulkifli Noordin forced the hand of the party to sack him. 

Others are Wee Choo Keong (Wangsa Maju) Zahrain Mohd Hashim (Bayan Baru), Tan Tee Beng (Nibong Tebal) and Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri (Bagan Serai).

In addition to this, four PKR state assemblypersons in Perak, Kedah and Selangor have quit the party since February 2009.

The congress to be held on May 28 to 30 was suppose to be held last year but was postponed to make way for a special congress where amendments to the party constitution were passed. 

Meanwhile, the 2010 congress is scheduled to be held at the end of this year, when PKR will also hold its triennial party elections.

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