17 DAP candidates opt out of CEC race

PETALING JAYA, Sept 29 — A total of 17 DAP candidates have withdrawn from contesting for the party’s central executive committee (CEC) posts while two have resigned from the party, making the total number of those vying for the positions 49.

Secretary-general Lim Guan Eng denied any foul play in their withdrawal, saying the candidates had themselves given their justification publicly.

“It is their right to do so but of course they have given their reasons why. Some say because of unity and all... they have given their reasons openly,” Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, told reporters after opening the party’s special congress here today.

No notable names were seen in the list of those that withdrew. 

The line-up of the candidates remain the same as those that contested in the December polls.

The DAP was forced to conduct fresh polls to elect its CEC members after Lim revealed that an internal audit showed errors in the tabulation of votes from the December 15, 2012 party elections.

He claimed the errors were caused by a technical glitch when the results were transferred to a computer using the Microsoft Excel programme.

The amendments resulted in Lim’s political secretary, Zairil Khir Johari, moving up from 39^th position to 20^th.

The Registrar of Societies (RoS) subsequently ordered fresh polls, after saying it was not satisfied with the party’s explanations and prompting an uproar from DAP leaders who accused the societies regulator of conspiring with the government to bury their party.

Lim in his opening speech of the congress earlier alleged RoS’s bid to stop today’s polls through by filing for an injunction, despite having ordered the re-election themselves, as the clearest proof of a concerted plot to kill off the DAP.

“From forcing the DAP to follow the RoS order, they now turned around by trying to stop the DAP from holding a re-election. Holding fresh polls is wrong, not doing it is wrong,” said the Penang chief minister.

And despite the party having agreed to meet the RoS directive, the DAP secretary-general pointed out that the party continued to be subject to libel and lies from its political rivals.

Lim added that today’s special congress would preempt any excuse by the RoS to take “crueler” action. He claimed the regulating body was trying to de-register the party.

An estimated 2,000 from 2,576 delegates from 985 branches will cast their votes to elect the 20 CEC members today.

The results will be announced this evening.

Lim had previously announced that an international auditing firm was appointed by the party to monitor the counting process to prevent a repeat of wrong tabulation of votes.