The disqualification of three Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) leaders from contesting in the polls will not stop the party from nominating them, said its president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today.

Wan Azizah said vice-president Mohd Azmin Ali, Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor and Wanita deputy chief Irene Fernandez will submit their names on March 13 (nomination date) and then leave it to the Election Commission (EC) to determine their eligibility.

"The about-turn decision by the EC chief (Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman) is irresponsible," she told a packed press conference at the party headquarters in Shah Alam.

She also described the decision to prevent "three of the best" Keadilan leaders from contesting as being "undemocratic".

Rights deprived

Azmin, the Hulu Kelang state assemblyperson was expected to defend his state seat and contest for the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary seat.

Ezam was expected to contest in the Pekan parliamentary seat against Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and the Kota Anggerik or Batu Tiga state seat in Shah Alam. Fernandez was expected to stand in the Sidam state seat in Kedah.

Elaborating, Wan Azizah said the EC's decision deprived the rights of the trio since they might be acquitted if their appeals proved successful.

Azmin is currently appealing against a perjury charge while Ezam and Fernandez are battling against their convictions under the Official Secrets Act and for publishing false news respectively.

Keadilan was informed of the disqualification via a letter from the commission on Wednesday.

Last year, the commission chairperson said the trio could contest as long as they were granted a stay of execution pending appeal but said on Wednesday it was a 'general interpretation' and done without consulting the legal department.

Legal action

Meanwhile, Wan Azizah said the party would initiate legal action against the EC on this matter at the earliest opportunity.

Commenting on this, Keadilan vice-president and lawyer R Sivarasa said the legal action was significant despite it being rendered academic after the general election.

"The court may not be able to deliver a verdict before the general election, however the process of the legal action and hearing itself will raise the people's awareness," he said when met later.

Despite the disqualification, Ezam, who was present at the press conference together with Azmin and Fernandez, said he will proceed with his plan to launch his election machinery in Pekan tomorrow.

"The EC's decision is widely-expected. It just shows that (Prime Minister) Abdullah's (Ahmad Badawi) government is no different from (ex-premier) Dr Mahathir's (Mohamad) government.

"We have every reason to believe that this is a politically-motivated action on the part of the EC," he stressed.

Azmin questioned the eleventh-hour decision and described it as move which "killed democracy" in this country.

"The decision is unacceptable... we want all the people to stand up to support BA (Barisan Alternatif)," he said, adding that Keadilan has submitted an official protest note to the commission immediately after receiving the letter.

As for Fernandez, she said the decision proved again that the commission was not free from political control.

"The reason why I am not allowed to stand in the election is because of my conviction against police brutality, torture and freedom of expression, it is not because I am convicted.

Some 100 supporters and party leaders were present at the press conference, including deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali.