Snap election 'a ploy to spook party hoppers'
Athi VeerangganPublished: May 28, 2008 11:32 AM | Updated: May 28, 2008 11:37 AM
Speculations that a snap parliamentary election may be held soon could be a political ploy to spook Barisan Nasional’s members of parliament from defecting to the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition.
Speculations that a snap parliamentary election may be held soon could be a political ploy to spook Barisan Nasional’s members of parliament from defecting to the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng believed the ruling BN is sending a strong signal to potential party defectors that they would have to face the wrath of the voters should they decide to switch sides.
“It’s a warning to those who intend to party hop - that they would face an early election for their action,” said Lim, who is also Penang chief minister.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is likely to call a snap election if Pakatan was to garner enough BN MPs to form the federal government.
Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has consistently boasted that Pakatan would have the numbers to stake claim for the federal government in the coming months.
Talks of a snap election gained credence when Election Commission chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said last week that he had told his officers to be “prepared for one”.
Since the ruling coalition suffered its worst electoral setback, losing five states and a third of parliamentary seats to the opposition, certain quarters including former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad have continuously called for Abdullah’s resignation.
The defections could force the premier to go for broke and hold fresh elections in the hope that he could consolidate his position within the party.
Lim: EC doing cabinet’s dirty job
Lim however did not buy the argument of a snap election.
But when asked whether Anwar’s claim to power was real, Lim said his experience would indicate that nothing was certain in politics.
“Nothing is real until it realistically happens,” he told journalists.
He hit out at Abdul Rashid for fuelling rumours of a snap election when the EC had “no business” in the matter since it was up to the federal government to dissolve parliament and call for fresh polls.
Lim suggested that this could be another cabinet directive to the EC to start talking about a snap election.
According to the chief minister, this showed that the commission was not an independent and impartial body.
Two weeks ago, Abdul Rashid unwittingly revealed that the cabinet had instructed him to cancel the use of indelible ink in the March 8 general elections.
Lim said that while DAP is ready to face a snap election, he hinted that the Penang ruling coalition may not dissolve the state legislative assembly should there be a fresh national election.
“I would not say yes or no,” he said when asked whether there will be state polls in Penang in the event of a snap election.
“But we have a choice – either to follow or not. It’s not necessarily we would follow.”
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng believed the ruling BN is sending a strong signal to potential party defectors that they would have to face the wrath of the voters should they decide to switch sides.“It’s a warning to those who intend to party hop - that they would face an early election for their action,” said Lim, who is also Penang chief minister.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is likely to call a snap election if Pakatan was to garner enough BN MPs to form the federal government.
Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has consistently boasted that Pakatan would have the numbers to stake claim for the federal government in the coming months.
Talks of a snap election gained credence when Election Commission chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said last week that he had told his officers to be “prepared for one”.
Since the ruling coalition suffered its worst electoral setback, losing five states and a third of parliamentary seats to the opposition, certain quarters including former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad have continuously called for Abdullah’s resignation.
The defections could force the premier to go for broke and hold fresh elections in the hope that he could consolidate his position within the party.
Lim: EC doing cabinet’s dirty job
Lim however did not buy the argument of a snap election.
But when asked whether Anwar’s claim to power was real, Lim said his experience would indicate that nothing was certain in politics.
“Nothing is real until it realistically happens,” he told journalists.
He hit out at Abdul Rashid for fuelling rumours of a snap election when the EC had “no business” in the matter since it was up to the federal government to dissolve parliament and call for fresh polls.
Lim suggested that this could be another cabinet directive to the EC to start talking about a snap election.
According to the chief minister, this showed that the commission was not an independent and impartial body.
Two weeks ago, Abdul Rashid unwittingly revealed that the cabinet had instructed him to cancel the use of indelible ink in the March 8 general elections.
Lim said that while DAP is ready to face a snap election, he hinted that the Penang ruling coalition may not dissolve the state legislative assembly should there be a fresh national election.
“I would not say yes or no,” he said when asked whether there will be state polls in Penang in the event of a snap election.
“But we have a choice – either to follow or not. It’s not necessarily we would follow.”
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