Sarawak's ruling Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu's (PBB) is likely to see contests for all party posts, except that of the president, at its Sept 15-17 party convention in Miri.

With nearly half of its 62 divisions already completed their meetings, it is becoming clear that party senior vice-president Adenan Satem's push to get the divisions to back his call for an open contest in the party polls is succeeding.

The divisions' resolution - which one PBB division head Mohd Hashim Yap of Batu Kawah (Kuching) has described as 'Usul Adenan' (Adenan's resolution) - is to support no-contest only for the president post, currently held by the Chief Minister and PBB president Abdul Taib Mahmud.

This, in effect, means the rest of the posts are to be open for contest.

Malaysiakini learnt that Adenan's aim is to get 50 divisions to support the resolution, enough to hopefully reverse the party supreme council's no-contest ruling for the top posts - the president, the deputy presidents and two senior vice-presidents.

All divisions are expected to wind up their business of carrying out their meetings and elections by the end of July.

The group within the party aligned to Adenan, who is natural resources and environment minister, has managed to secure endorsement from many of the divisions which have met thus far.

Time for revenge

There is little secret that Adenan badly wants to avenge his defeat at the hands of party deputy president Abang Johari Tun Openg, who is state housing minister, in a three-cornered fight at the 1998 party elections.

There were no contests for the top key in the following party elections.

However, this time there is a bigger prize for Adenan - the prospect for the winner in the contest for the deputy president post reserved for the bumiputera group (Malay/Melanau) of moving up as party president when Taib step down.

The other deputy present post (Dayak wing) is held by Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu, who is not expected to be challenged when he defends his post.

Adenan probably sees that day is coming, and according to some political observers, is trying to subtly put some pressure on Taib to stand aside and to be appointed as head of state or to take up a post in the Malaysian corporate world.

On the surface, Abang Johari does not appear to have a chance if he is challenged by Adenan for deputy president, but his staunch supporters say he could still spring a surprise, like he did in 1998.

Adenan faction worried

The Adenan faction is said to be a little worried about how the majority of Iban delegates are going to vote.

Among Adenan's key political allies who have been frequently seen helping divisions with their meetings and elections are party treasurer and Second Planning and Resource Management Minister Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, chief political secretary to the chief minister Idris Buang and Asajaya state assemblyperson Abdul Karim Hamzah.

Interestingly, at least two of them have been frequently mentioned are potential candidates for vice-president posts - Awang Tengah and Abdul Karim Hamzah, who is presently PBB state deputy youth chief.

Meanwhile, Taib has announced that the other party senior vice-president Celestine Ujang (Dayak wing) and two vice-presidents Stephen Wan Ullok (Dayak wing) and Dr Sulaiman Daud (Bumiputera wing) will not be seeking re-election.

He said he could not tell at this stage whether there would be a contest for these posts.

"The announcement could be an indication that the party's supreme council may well decide to let all posts - except for the president post - open for contest," a source told malaysiakini.