Living up to his reputation for sparking up debate in Parliament, DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang said one of his first moves would be to initiate impeachment proceedings against Election Commission chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman for the electoral roll irregularities and widespread foul-ups on polling day.

Brushing aside Abdul Rashid's appeal for more time to investigate into the complaints, Lim said he will give the EC chairperson up to till the end of this month to submit his resignation.

"I will move a motion of no confidence against Abdul Rashid in Parliament. A number of Barisan Nasional MPs have also criticised the EC for its disgraceful conduct so I hope they will support the impeachment," he said during a press conference today.

Labelling the EC's conduct of Sunday's general election as the worst ever, Lim said the commission not only failed to produce a clean and comprehensive electoral roll, but also failed to remove some three million phantom voters.

Fresh polls for Selangor

The commission's blunders also prevented thousands of registered voters from exercising their right, he added.

"There is also the unprecedented extension of voting hours in Selangor. This is most shocking and poses a threat to the legitimacy of the election results. We call for fresh elections for Selangor," he asserted.

The DAP chairperson said the party will be compiling its own list of the complaints against the EC. Its team is headed by DAP Youth secretary and new Lobak state assemblyperson Anthony Loke.

The EC has been bearing the brunt of strong criticisms from all sides over multiple discrepancies in the electoral roll which have deprived many voters of their right to vote.

Voting on Sunday was extended for two hours in Selangor to compensate for the delay voters faced in verifying their status, but the move has been slammed by opposition leaders on grounds that the EC had made the decision arbitrarily without informing all concerned parties.

Kerk's resignation

On another matter, Lim said party leaders are still attempting to dissuade secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock from resigning from his post following his defeat at Kota Melaka, a 35-year old DAP stronghold.

Kerk was defeated by MCA's Wong Nai Chee by a paper-thin majority of 219 votes

"I have received his letter to resign with effect from March 28. I can understand his feelings and trauma over the defeat but party leaders are urging him to reconsider."

Lim said Kerk's quit notice and other decisions such as the appointment of opposition leaders for Parliament and state assemblies would be discussed by the DAP central committee on Monday.

Although losing Kota Melaka and two other state seats in Melaka on Sunday, DAP increased its total number of state seats from12 to 13 when compared to the 1999 polls. It won additional seats in Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

Tainted politicians

On Barisan Nasional's victory, Lim said he had congratulated Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for leading the ruling coalition to a 90 percent win of all parliamentary seats.

But he urged the premier to "walk the talk" by removing tainted politicians from his new cabinet.

"(Abdullah) should set an example by applying the integrity test in his selection of new cabinet ministers, chief ministers and menteri besars by ensuring that no one who is tainted by corruption is appointed."

"In the cabinet Abdullah inherited from Mahathir, there are quite a number who will not pass such a test. The new cabinet's appointment will be the acid test of (Abdullah's) political will to go all out in the cracking down on corruption," says Lim.