The Masing-Sng faction suffered their first major setback in the run-up to the party election today when their rivals outvoted them in the election of the chairperson for the crucial credentials committee during the party's supreme council meeting.

A party stalwart Dr Jawie Masing, proposed by the Tajem-Salang faction to be the committee's

chairperson, secured 18 votes with 13 against.

The supreme council has 32 members. o­nly o­ne member did not attend the meeting chaired by out-going president Leo Moggie at party headquarters in Kuching.

The credentials committee's main task is to assess the eligibility of branches to send delegates to attend and vote.

Among those present were deputy president and presidential aspirant Daniel Tajem and his deputy president hopeful and Julau member of parliament Joseph Salang Gandum.

Also present were information chief and presidential aspirant Dr James Masing and his running-mate for deputy president's post Sng Chee Hua.

Others chosen

According to sources, when the pro-Masing/Sng members realised they could not win after the vote was taken o­n the chairperson's post, they pleaded for the rest of the credential committee members to be chosen through consensus.

Their rival faction, urged o­n by Moggie, relented not to put the selection of the remaining four committee members to a vote. The four chosen were Clement Eddy, a lawyer, Patrick Sibat, a former political secretary to Moggie, Terence Temenggong, a former senior bank officer, and Aron Dagang, Moggie's political secretary.

The supreme council also appointed Henry Upang as committee secretary who will have no voting power.

Moggie told reporters after the two-hour supreme council meeting that the party's triennial delegates conference (TDC) will be held from July 23 to 27 in Kuching.

The youth and women sections will hold their meetings o­n July 24 with registration fixed for the day before. The main body will meet in July 26 and 27.

Moggie said the supreme council meeting had decided that this year's TDC would be confined as a family affair, and that there would be no official opening ceremony.

The last TDC was held o­n August 5, 2000.

Eligible branches

Moggie also disclosed that the meeting had also agreed that o­nly branches formed o­n or before August 24, 2002 and registered with the Registrar of Societies by February 24, 2003 would be eligible to send delegates to attend and vote at the forthcoming party election.

To a question, Moggie said according to the party's constitution the reports and annual returns of party branches shall be submitted to the secretary-general within 30 days of their branch meetings.

He added that he could not predict what the ROS would do with those reports and annual returns of party branches which had been submitted directly to the ROS office without going through the secretary-general.

To another question, Moggie said he still holds the view that the two top posts in the party - president and deputy president - should be held by Dayaks.

"By saying this I am not against any personalities," he added, in a clear reference to Masing's running mate Sng.

Moggie said he hoped it was still possible to reach some form of consensus o­n the top leadership line-up before the party polls.

"But if there has to be a contest I hope it will be conducted in a fair manner," he said."Everyone should accept the decision of the delegates."