PUTRAJAYA, April 29 — PKR should not point fingers at the Election Commission (EC) when several of its candidates were disqualified from contesting in the 14th general election over their own mistakes.

Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the allegations that EC had a certain agenda to change the rules in the nomination of candidates were baseless as EC was just carrying out its responsibilities.

"Just adhere to EC regulations and I believe EC will also follow the law. If you have party problems, settle your own party problems,” he told reporters after officiating the groundbreaking ceremony for a multi-storey car park at Phase 5 and 6 Apartment Quarters in Precinct 9 here today.

In the nomination of candidates for GE14 yesterday, several PKR candidates were disqualified and among them was Tian Chua who could not defend the Batu parliamentary seat when his nomination papers were rejected for being fined RM2,000 for insulting police.

EC also rejected the nomination of PKR candidate, Dr Mohd Hafidz Rizal for the Kuala Balah state seat when he was confirmed a bankrupt while PKR Rantau candidate Dr S. Streram failed to submit his nomination forms for not carrying the candidate pass.

Tengku Adnan also said the Opposition coalition was also trying to find technical grounds to declare Umno illegal for GE14 when 16 Umno members filed for a judicial review for the party to be dissolved.

"But they forget that in Umno’s constitution, there is a clause that any member who takes Umno to court would be automatically expelled,” he said.

In the application for leave for judicial review filed three weeks before GE14, the group alleged the approval of the Registrar of Societies (RoS) for Umno to postpone its election to next year was against the party constitution.

On March 5, the RoS in a statement confirmed Umno’s application to extend its Supreme Council election for 2017 was approved in line with the provision of organisation’s constitution Article 10.17 which provides for the postponement of Supreme Council, division and branch elections, not exceeding 18 months from the date the election should have been held. — Bernama