Buoyed by the mood of yesterday 's Barisan Nasional technical committee meeting, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) president Daniel Tajem said today he does not anticipate any problem in going ahead with the preparations for the new party elections on Oct 9-10.

The party elections, starting from branches numbering some 277 throughout Sarawak and culminating in the triennial delegates conference (TDC), possibly in Kuching, are to be coordinated by a five-man credentials committee (CC) headed by a well-known Kuala Lumpur-based constitutional lawyer Mohd Shafee Abdullah.

"The party's supreme council and party headquarters staff will assist the CC," Tajem told malaysiakini on his return to Kuching from the BN meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

On the appointment of Mohd Shafee ( left ) as the CC chairperson, Tajem described him as a 'man of integrity' who has handled many cases admirably for Umno, and is well-versed in the working of party constitution.

Tajem said he had no hesitation in agreeing to Mohd Shafee when BN technical committee chairperson Khalil Yaacob suggested his name.

Formalise decision

The PBDS supreme council will meet on May 29 to formalise the decisions taken at yesterday's meeting.

Article V11.1(iii) of the party constitution states that "the supreme council shall, at the same time of fixing a date for the triennial delegates conference, appoint a credentials committee comprising not more than five persons, whose duty shall be to scrutinize the rights of any delegate or member to attend the said meeting and the committee shall have the right to reject the nomination or appointment of any persons as delegate to the meeting on the ground that he or she is not properly nominated or appointed or elected by the party branch or division that he or she purports to represent or that the delegate is for any reason not qualified to attend; and the decision of the credentials committee shall be final."

Tajem, a lawyer by training and a former Sarawak deputy chief minister, said he had drawn the attention of the BN meeting yesterday to the contents of the March 9, 2004 letter conveying the home minister's decision in reinstating the party as a registered political party.

The letter, he added, clearly stated that the party's supreme council with him as its head prior to the events of July 23, 2003 shall remain in status quo until a new TDC.

But following a query from his rival Dr James Masing, the Home Ministry's deputy secretary-general wrote a second letter clarifying that the SC's powers were limited to organising the new party polls.

It is learnt that Tajem later wrote to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, alleging that some government officials appeared to be undermining his (Abdullah's) authority by sending the second letter ( which was stamped 'sulit' and its contents never made public).

No supreme council

Meanwhile, rival faction leader Dr James Masing told reporters today that as far as he is concerned "there is no supreme council and the present supreme council cannot organise the party elections."

He also said he was pleased with the timing of the TDC. He had earlier insisted on a four-month time-table from April, warning of the possible consequences of a second de-registration if there was any delay.

Tajem also told malaysiakini that he had explained at yesterday's meeting why more time was required to get the party elections organised without compromising on rules and regulations.

The meeting eventually agreed on Oct 9-10 before the start of the fasting month, presumably to accommodate some government officials who will be involved in overseeing the elections.

"We have to start afresh, right from the branches which now need to meet, elect their office-bearers, decide on the delegates and submit the necessary returns to the credentials committee," he said.

He added that if there is a need to extend the date for the TDC, the credentials committee can make their recommendations.

'We love this party'

Yesterday, Khalil told reporters after the meeting: "We all love this party. This is an old party, not a new party. There is no point in forming a new party. We want to make sure that this party will go on."

Commenting on this, Tajem said he was pleased with Khalil's statement, as he said he himself has no personal agenda whatsoever.

"All I want is to see PBDS alive as it symbolises Dayak participation in politics and can provide an avenue for the community to express their concerns over political, economic and social issues."

Apart from the chairperson (who has a casting vote), the credentials committee will comprise two members each representing the two factions in the party, as well as six observers, also from within the party.

Tajem said the CC will start going to the ground after the Gawai Dayak celebrations on June 1-2.