Tajem camp replies to BN on October polls
Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) has finally replied to Barisan Nasional secretary-general Radzi Sheikh Ahmad giving its views on a proposal to base the holding of fresh party elections on the same delegates' list used in 2000.
Sources told
malaysiakini
that the letter, signed by party secretary-general Stanley Ajang, was despatched yesterday after a meeting of the legal affairs committee had considered the constitutional aspects of the issue.
The supreme council, controlled by a faction led by president Daniel Tajem, had met last week to discuss Radzi's proposal, which had been made earlier at a BN technical committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
It decided to leave it to the legal affairs committee chaired by lawyer Kilat Beriak to frame an appropriate reply, taking into consideration the provisions of the constitution.
Tajem had said the party told Radzi (
photo)
about their reservations as the proposal could be in contravention of the party constitution.
It is understood that the letter states that, while the party would be happy to accept the use of the delegates' list of 2000, it also wanted those branches registered after that year to be taken into consideration, provided that the Registrar of Societies does not object to this.
However, it is not known how many such branches the Tajem faction has asked the authorities to take into account.
Eligible delegates
Based on the delegates' list of 2000, about 600 delegates would be eligible to attend and vote during the triennial conference scheduled for Oct 9-10.
The estimate leaves out those who have resigned or who have died, and is calculated based on the fact that each branch can send three delegates to the meeting.
The rival faction led by Dr James Masing is believed to have made the initial suggestion to the BN leadership, to use the delegates' list of 2000.
On the explusion of the 12 party members, including State Minister Dublin Unting, PBDS vice- president Sng Chee Hua and Kapit walikota Philimon Niung, sources said the party had indicated it could conder taking back nine of them.
"As for the other three, it is a question of principle on which I think both BN and PBDS should not compromise at all," said a leader aligned to the Tajem group.
One of those involved is the party's former Wanita chief Josephine Mawat who contested against the BN-PBDS candidate Joseph Salang in the general election concluded on March 21.
The other two are said to be Dublin and Sng, whom the Tajem camp has accused of openly campaigning against BN candidates in the general election. Neither has denied the allegation.
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