Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak's (PBDS) rival factions have virtually agreed to hold their long delayed Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC) on Oct 9 and10, if not earlier.

"We are ready ... there is no reason (to delay) and if it is agreeable with the Barisan Nasional's (BN) technical committee, we can even hold it earlier," a leader aligned to the party's Tajem faction told malaysiakini today.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the party supreme council member said his faction led by party president Daniel Tajem had already submitted their recommendations regarding the holding of the TDC to the BN committee.

"I believe both the factions have submitted their respective recommendations. We have also finally agreed not to depart from the delegate system for the party elections," he said.

He said his faction was also 'quite prepared' to include in the TDC participation those people who should be legally included.

"As long as our position and points enclosed in our recommendations are agreeable, we are very flexible. We can even have the TDC earlier, why not," he said.

BN directive

He said both factions should play by the book and abide by regulations laid down by the BN technical committe chaired by BN Secretary-General Radzi Sheikh Ahmad.

"Let the TDC go on smoothly, fairly and independently without promises of rewards or money politics and as guided by the BN technical committee," the senior leader said, adding the Tajem faction was confident of winning control of the party.

He reminded that PBDS was deregistered because of its failure to observe its constitutional rules.

Meanwhile, PBDS' former secretary-general Dublin Unting, in a press statement issued yesterday, said the party's other faction, led by Dr James Masing, has also agreed to the TDC being held on Oct 9 and 10.

He said their agreement was in compliance with a directive from the BN technical committee issued at a meeting between both factions in Kuala Lumpur on July 15.

The meeting is the second to be held, and was chaired by Radzi who took over chairmanship of the committee after his predecessor, former BN secretary-general Khalil Yaacob was appointed the Malacca Governor.

Year 2000 list

Unting said representatives from the Masing faction would be travelling to all the party divisions ahead of the TDC to meet delegates as listed in the year 2000 schedule .

Tajem is a former Sarawak deputy chief minister, while Masing, former PBDS information chief, is a state minister. Rivalry between the two began when Masing challenged Tajem for the party's deputy presidency in 2000.

Both Tajem and Masing could not be reached for comment.

JIMMY TEOH is malaysiakini 's Sarawak-based stringer.