PKR vice-president Azmin Ali said his fate in the party will be decided by the party members and not Zaid Ibrahim.

Brushing off Zaid’s calls to step down this morning, Azmin said members who voted in the ongoing party polls clearly do not agree with the former.

"I must say I am happy to note that in the last few weeks of party elections I have received very encouraging support, even from Sabah.

“The message is very clear, the members still want my leadership in the party and want me to (move up) as deputy president," said Azmin, the Gombak MP, when met at the Parliament lobby today.

Azmin said that the party’s direct elections was a democratic process which must be respected and no single person can dictate party positions.

"If he (Zaid) believes in democracy, let it be," he said.

Zaid launched yet another scathing attack against Anwar and Azmin, blaming them for the many failures, mistakes and faux pas committed by the party.

He said that Anwar, who is the party de facto leader, was also busy battling personal problems, and the only way for PKR to progress was for the duo to step down.

Zaid said this just 24 hours after announcing his withdrawal from the contest for the party deputy presidency. Azmin is currently leading the race.

Zaid talking to ‘toilet paper’

Asked if Zaid should leave the party for airing the party’s dirty linen in public, Azmin said he was not qualified to comment on the matter and the members should be the judge.

"Members will decide and I think they have shown their signals and message quite clearly last weekend, especially in Sabah," said Azmin, in an obvious reference to Zaid’s supposed stronghold of Sabah.

Quizzed about Zaid’s recent interview with Umno-linked newspapers and television stations to attack party leaders, Azmin said this was action unbecoming of a real reform-minded leader.

"If you notice in the last few weeks and months he has been using Utusan Malaysia to attack the party leadership and policies. I just couldn't understand you talk about reform, but (at the same time) you talk to the ‘toilet paper’. I just cannot understand that," said Azmin.

He said that if Zaid truly believed in reform, he should be talking to party members and not make statements through the media.

"Effective leaders must engage with the members, not through blogs, not through websites, and certainly not through Utusan and TV3 ."

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