The Barisan Nasional technical committee, set up to resolve the leadership dispute in Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), has overturned the recent decision of the Daniel Tajem faction in sacking 12 party members, including an assistant state minister Dublin Unting.

The meeting which took place at the BN headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday also proposed that the Oct 9-10 party elections should use the year 2000 delegates list.

This was disclosed by BN secretary-general and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Radzi Sheikh Ahmad after chairing the two-hour meeting attended by the two factions in the party as well as BN representatives and Home Ministry and Registrar of Societies (ROS) officials.

Radzi told reporters that the sacking of the 12, including the party's controversial vice president Sng Chee Hua, in May went against the conditions laid down by the Home Ministry in reinstating the party.

Tajem, who was present at the meeting, was said to have accepted the decision.

This decision is seen as a big moral win for rival faction leader Dr James Masing, who is state land development minister, and his supporters.

They have always maintained that the party's supreme council has no power after the reinstatement other than to prepare for the triennial delegates conference (TDC) in October.

They also saw the sacking as a move to keep most of Tajem's rivals out of the race.

Apart from Tajem, yesterday's meeting was also attended by four others from his group - party vice president Peter Runin, secretary-general Stanley Ajang, supreme council member Kilat Beriak and Kanowit MP Aaron Dagang.

Representing the other faction, apart from Dr Masing, were Sng, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Joseph Entulu, Henry Opang and Patrick Sibat.

Committee's about-turn

The BN leadership appeared to have changed its mind about who should attend the TDC in October and vote. The previous technical committee with Khalil Yaacob, the then BN secretary-secretary, as chairperson had agreed that the latest list should be used.

Now the 2000 TDC list is to be used as the BN leadership's formula to avoid troubles with branches and delegates.

The two factions have been asked to give their views in writing to the proposal within two weeks as to whether they agree with it.

Radzi said delegates from the 2000 TDC list who had died or left the party would not be replaced, adding that each branch is allowed to send three delegates each, meaning that there would still be about 600 delegates who could attend the forthcoming TDC and vote.

On reservations expressed by some PBDS leaders on the issue, Radzi said he would look into the party's constitution and if there was no valid ground for any objections the TDC should use the list.

The proposal is another morale booster for the Masing faction as they have also insisted on using the same list.

The Masing faction's insistence of using the year 2000 list appears to have finally paid off, and according to sources, the Tajem faction is probably left with little choice but to accept.

"After all, it was this list of delegates used in the TDC four years ago that saw Tajem defeat Masing for the deputy presidency," the sources said.

A short cut

Masing has maintained that he is 'not worried' about using the same list. He had said this list was never disputed, adding that the subsequent lists were 'tainted' and should therefore should not be used for the coming party polls.

If the 2000 list is used, it will probably dispense with the holding of the cumbersome procedure of the party having to go through the branch meetings to elect delegates to attend and vote at the TDC.

According to the sources, this will mean the proposal is 'a short cut' to the TDC so that efforts will be concentrated on the campaign for votes among the delegates.

It is not know whether the Tajem faction will agree to this, but the sources indicated that this proposal which is likely to have the support of the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as chairperson of BN is to reduce the acrimony among members at the branch level and to open the door for some negotiations among the rival factions.

It is also seen as an attempt to try to work out a compromise in the new leadership line-up which the Masing camp has proposed but which the Tajem faction has so far not agreed to.