Gerakan today made several amendments to its constitution including one which will make it easier for the transition of power in the party next year.

The amendment will ensure that Penang Chief Minister and party deputy president Dr Koh Tsu Koon succeeds the long-serving president, Dr Lim Keng Yaik, who had announced his intention to step down sometime "early next year", according to Bernama.

The amendments, tabled by Dr Koh, at the party's 35th national delegates conference was passed without much debate or fuss.

The amendments were to sections 23, 29, 34, 36, 43 and 45 of the constitution. Section 45 states that if there is a vacancy for the post of branch, division or state chairperson or the post of national president, then the party secretary-general must call for an election within 60 days of the vacancy, provided that the term served is less than 18 months from the date of the last election.

The amended section reads that if the said 18 months had been served, for the remainder of the term of office the deputy president shall act as the acting president.

Nine terms

Lim, 67, was re-elected president for the ninth consecutive term on Aug 28 last year and only if he decides to vacate the post after 18 months, which falls in February next year, will Koh take over as acting president.

If the Gerakan supremo decides to step down earlier than that, then a fresh election has to be called for the Gerakan presidency.

Apart from this major amendment, the party also made changes to another section which allows its central committee to postpone due elections to a date or dates after the year in which the elections are due, but shall not be later than 15 months from Dec 31 of the election year.

Another amendment also synchronises the branch and division elections to every three years, from every two years currently, in line with the Gerakan national leadership polls.