New PKR deputy president hopeful Mustaffa Kamil Ayub today condemned the intensified dogfights among party members in the heated atmosphere of party polls.

"I don't agree with the act of using friends in the party as punching bags. We are all friends in the party, and we are looking for the best team for the march to Putrajaya. For me the most important thing is to work as a team, with esprit de corps ," he said.

He said this when asked to comment on fellow vice-president Lee Boon Chye's cutting remarks aimed at another deputy president aspirant Zaid Ibrahim yesterday.

The founding member of Keadilan also said that he did not "completely agree" with other leaders who have blamed Umno for the fracas at the divisional polls last weekend.

"I am not fond of blaming Umno and the BN (for this). We should accept our faults as they are and take the challenge to carry out what we have to do.

NONE "But I must say that our system of direct elections is far better than other parties', like Umno's which at one point had a quota system. To those critics, I would say 'Look in the mirror'," Mustaffa ( in red shirt in photo ) said.

He, however, played it safe when pressed if party de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim should accept nominations as president in order to be officially elected as party leader.

"Everyone who is nominated has the right to reject or accept. It is not my place to comment on that," he said.

He also carefully sidestepped a question on whether he has the backing of incumbent Syed Husin Ali.

"I want everyone's support, Syed Husin's and everyone else's," he said.

He had earlier said that he plans to meet with Syed Husin and president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to personally inform them of his decision.