S'WAK POLLS State DAP has charged that the opposition fight for Batu Kitang would have been over today had DAP not decided to enter the fray.

"They would have lost today without us," alleged DAP leader Chong Chieng Jen, who claimed that the Election Commission (EC) would have rejected PKR's nomination had it been a straight fight.

PKR fielded Voon Shiak Ni to contest Batu Kitang. The nomination process closed at 10am, but EC officials delayed announcing the candidates.

This was claimed to be due to discrepancies in Voon's proposer Narawi Banayang, but the PKR candidate denied this.

The candidates' nominations were formalised at 11.30 am.

However, Chong claimed a discrepancy in the proposer's status was the reason for the delay in the announcement of the candidates.

“I believe that if we had not stood or sent a candidate for Batu Kitang, the returning officer would very likely disqualify the nomination of PKR's candidate.

“If that happened, it would have given the (Sarawak United People's Party) SUPP candidate a walkover victory," he told reporters in Kuching today.

DAP, in an agreement with PKR's national leadership two weeks ago, had given up contesting the urban-based and Chinese-majority Batu Kitang.

Today, citing PKR reneging on its agreement by clashing in five rural seats, DAP fielded its original candidate Abdul Aziz Isa.

Commenting further, Chong asked how PKR could allow such a mistake to happen.

“Why did it give the returning officer the opportunity to reject the nomination? At the end of the day, had we not stepped in, there would not be any opposition candidate.

"You can challenge the rejection in court, but the election would have been over before a decision is made. PKR would have to answer why it fought so hard and yet create such an opportunity for BN to win uncontested.

“We are forced to contest Batu Kitang. As events turn out, it proved that our decision to contest it was correct," he said.

SUPP, on the other hand, fielded Padawan municipal council chairperson Lo Khere Chiang as its candidate.

Sarawak goes to the polls on May 7.