Gerakan postones party election to focus on general election

Published: Saturday December 18, 2010 MYT 7:10:00 PM
Gerakan postones party election to focus on general election

KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan will postpone the party election, which is scheduled end of next year, to focus on preparation for the coming 13th general election.

Its president, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, said the decision was made at the party's central committee (CC) meeting here on Saturday.

The postponement was made based on Article 43.1 of the party constitution which allowed the Central Working Committee (CWC) to recommend to the CC to postpone the party election not more than 15 months from the scheduled date, which is Dec 31, 2011.

"Elections will be postponed at the branch, division, state and central levels. This decision is not to avoid the principles of democracy in the party, but to enable the party to make preparations to face the general election," he told reporters after chairing the CC meeting.

Koh said the principles of democracy in the party would continue to be practised to strengthen the party organization at the grassroots level.

On the behaviour of the opposition parliamentary members at a recent Dewan Rakyat sitting, Koh said it was seen as "politics without responsibility and has negative effects on the country".

"The present politicians play too much politics, staged many demonstrations, as if since the 2008 general election, we have never stopped campaigning," he added.

He said politicians should practice moderate politics which did not play excessively on people's sentiment, but responsibly as practiced by former Gerakan leaders, like the late Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, who was an opposition leader in the 1960s.

"Tun Dr Lim's stance as an opposition was positive and constructive. If there was a difference in opinion, he did not turn the situation chaotic, but adopted a constructive approach by giving constructive suggestions," he added. - Bernama