It now looks almost certain that the party elections of troubled Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) will go ahead as scheduled on Oct 9-10, despite certain reservations that have been expressed over the proposed delegates list by a rival faction.

In recent days, leaders of the two factions - one led by party president Daniel Tajem and the other by former information chief Dr James Masing - have publicly stated the party elections will proceed as scheduled.

The party elections to resolve the leadership issue once and for all and to prevent the party from being deregistered again have been ordered by the Barisan Nasional top leadership to save the 20-year-old Dayak-based party.

Informed sources told malaysiakini today that about 600 delegates are likely to converge in Sibu for the delayed triennial delegates conference to choose a new set of leaders under BN supervision.

No reason has been given as to why Sibu has been proposed as the venue, but the Tajem faction has said it could be held anywhere as long as it is held properly.

Kuching has been originally proposed, but Sibu is thought to be more convenient for delegates as most of them come from the central and northern regions which are nearer to Sibu.

Pak Lah intervenes

Amid rumours of a possible second de-registration in recent days, leaders of both factions have publicly said that they feel PBDS is still relevant in Sarawak politics and appear to acknowledge that only by going through the party elections could they hope to save the party.

According to informed sources, there were attempts in recent weeks to force a de-registration of the party, but that they were halted by the intervention of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"Abdullah would prefer to see the party go through with the scheduled party elections in order to determine the leadership issue," the sources said. "He will take the matter from there."

The attempts, claimed the sources, came from certain individuals in one faction who were not certain about the outcome if the party were to go ahead with the party elections.

Unless there is a last-minute amendment, the TDC will use the same list of delegates as the previous TDC in 2000 minus those who have died and those who have resigned from the party.

That will still leave about 600 delegates from some 204 branches from throughout Sarawak.

Both factions have been busy in recent weeks campaigning on the ground to win the support of delegates.

Not winners

Tajem has said he will be defending his post as president with Deputy Foreign Minister Joseph Salang as his running-mate for the deputy presidency.

Dr Masing, who is state Land Development Minister, is going for the No 1 post and has confirmed publicly that businessman Sng Chee Hua will be his running mate for the No 2 post.

Some observers have, however, expressed doubts even if the party goes ahead with its delayed elections to choose new leaders and that if the Tajem faction were to emerge victors that would see an end to the party problems.

"In that kind of a scenario, the winners will not become winners," they say, explaining that with the top state BN leadership behind the Masing group, they are unlikely to be asked to leave their government positions and replaced by those aligned to Tajem faction.

"Anything could happen after that," they added.

If, however, Dr Masing manage to beat Tajem for the No 1 post, and the delegates pick Salang as No 2, that would be a totally story altogether, the observers say.

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini's Sarawak-based stringer.