No decision yet on whether top 2 Umno posts will be contested

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: The Umno Supreme Council has yet to make a decision on whether the posts of president and deputy president will be contested in party elections next month.

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said there is still time for the council to deliberate on the matter.

“In January, the council will hold its monthly meeting as usual and another special meeting on Jan 12, a day before the general assembly takes place. Maybe it will decide at the special meeting,” he said, according to Berita Harian.

Previously, Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Yunos had suggested that the two top posts should not be contested.

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[superadmin]

Top Umno posts must be contested for sake of party, country

From Ibrahim M Ahmad

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan’s statement that its Supreme Council has yet to decide whether the posts of party president and deputy president will be contested at its upcoming elections shows that party leaders are totally out of touch with the sentiments of the rakyat.

The question as to whether the top posts in the party ought to be contested should not even be up for discussion.

If Umno wishes to lead a democratically elected government – as it will surely want to do at the next general and state elections – it must first show itself to abide by basic democratic principles. That would mean being itself led by democratically elected officials.

Leaders who insist on remaining in office without being elected to the position are simply further alienating party members and the electorate by insisting that they have some divine right to hold on to power.

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