PKR vice-president candidate Nurul Izzah Anwar said her teammate Saifuddin Nasution Ismail still has a shot at the deputy presidency post on account of revoting.

"I wouldn't want to use the word 'miracle', but I see there are still 17 divisions that are going to recast votes, and the results of these 17 may give some indication as to who will win.

"However, I cannot say for now (on who might win)," she told Malaysiakini when asked for her forecast today.

Seventeen divisions are going back to the polls in the ongoing PKR elections after complaints over irregularities in the voting process.

According to the official results as of May 4 obtained by Malaysiakini , Azmin is leading with 9,876 votes over his opponents, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim (6,217) and Saifuddin (5,717).

Of the 17 divisions recasting their votes, 13 of them will be doing so on May 17.

These are four in Terengganu (Setiu, Kuala Nerus, Kemaman, Dungun), and two each in Pahang (Paya Besar, Jerantut); Johor (Pengerang, Tenggara); Sarawak (Batang Sadong, Kapit) and Sabah (Tenom, Keningau).

 

For the remaining four divisions in Tawau, Papar (Sabah), Bukit Katil (Melaka), and Sungai Petani (Kedah), the dates for the re-election have yet to be announced.

Balloting too time consuming

 

Meanwhile, Nurul also called for the format of the ballot papers used in the current party election to be returned to the old format of marking cross next to the candidate’s name.

 

Under the current system, she says, voters have to fill the number of the candidates in a box based on a candidates' list distributed by the Central Election Committee (CEC).

 

“I think the (voting) process itself (is problematic) because using numbers is more troublesome compared to using a cross.

 

“When the names are not on the ballot papers, there is no emotional link. There used to be a mugshot and name next to it, so the CEC has to review this. The process of filling out the numbers is time-consuming too,” she said.