Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) president Leo Moggie's weekend announcement that the forthcoming party election will be held within the present three-year term has taken a faction within the party by surprise.

Commented a party leader who belongs to a rival faction: "In fact, it could be said the rug was pulled out from under (the other faction's) feet when Moggie told the April 19 supreme council meeting that he already had in mind the end of July or the first week of August, for the triennial delegates conference."

The source who requested anonymity is closely aligned to deputy president and presidential aspirant Daniel Tajem, who has picked party treasurer-general and Julau member of Parliament Joseph Salang Gandum as his running-mate.

The rival group of party information chief Dr James Jemut Masing, who is also the state's social development and urbanisation minister, and Sng Chee Hua, o­ne of the party's five vice-presidents, had thought there were attempts to push the date for the next conference to the end of the year or even early next year

This impression was strengthened when last Thursday, two days ahead of the party's supreme council meeting at the party's headquarters in Kuching, Tajem had indicated to reporters that it was unlikely the forthcoming conference would be held in August.

He had mentioned the year-end as the earliest and that it might even be held early in the new year "because of the need to sort out the present mess".

The party constitution allows a six-month grace period for elections at the end of the term in office.

Objection cut short

Based o­n such indicators, Masing-Sng supporters had come ready with written arguments to be read out at the supreme council meeting, to object to any delay in holding the conference.

Supreme council member Sidi Munan admitted to raising the matter.

"I had even proposed Aug 8, 2003 as the date for the next conference," he said when contacted today.

Sources said before Sidi could finish his statement, Moggie had interjected to say that he already had a date between the end of July and the first week of August for the conference.

Moggie also allegedly said the next supreme council meeting scheduled o­n May 25 in Kuching will discuss the conference, including fixing the party election date.

Apart from Moggie, those who attended the meeting included Tajem, vice-presidents Peter Runin, Gabriel Adit, Sng secretary-general Stanley Ajang, Gandum, Dr James Masing and PBDS Youth leader Joseph Entulu, who is assistant minister in the Chief Minister's Office.

Notable absentees from the Masing-Sng faction were supreme council appointed members Dublin Unting, who is assistant minister of tourism, and Jimmy Donald, the member of Parliament for Sri Aman.

Reporters covering the supreme council meeting said Masing and his group left the party headquarters immediately after the meeting o­n Saturday afternoon. They did not speak to any of the waiting reporters.

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini's Sarawak correspondent.