KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 —  Incumbent  PKR Youth vice chief Mohd Nazree Yunus today announced plans to contest the wing’s top post in the coming party elections.

Mohd Nazree, 30, is the second to declare his candidacy, after Batu Caves assemblyman Amirudin Shari, 32, who was the first to make public his interest for the post last month.

“After discussion with my peers, the wing’s executive council and Shamsul, I am prepared to contest for the post,” said Mohd Nazree, referring to outgoing Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin, at a media conference today.

Speculation remains that Selangor legislative assembly Deputy Speaker Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad will also enter the race, although he has yet to state his stand on the matter. 

Amirudin, who is party’s state secretary and deputy Gombak chief, is believed to have the backing of PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.

Nik Nazmi, who is also the Seri Setia assemblyman, is purportedly affiliated to Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Azmin and Khalid are known to be from rival camps in the PKR.

Amirudin and Nik Nazmi have, however, denied lobbying support from the respective factions but a worsening rivalry between the two sides suggest that a proxy contest may take place.

The alleged enmity is believed to be behind the move by the party to have former Kajang assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh vacate his seat to allow Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to contest and eventually take over as mentri besar to prevent a full-blown power struggle.

Unlike Amirudin and Nik Nazmi, Mohd Nazree is the only one who has served in the wing, holding the current post since 2010.

Joining Mohd Nazree as his running mates are PKR Sabah Youth chief Mohd Sernan Hasnarr, who is contesting for the deputy Youth post, followed by Ginie Lim, Sangheta Jayakumar and Saifullah Zulkifli, who are gunning for the three vice-chief spots, as well as 20 executive council hopefuls.

Mohd Nazree told reporters that one of his goals is to see the wing’s mission for the economic empowerment of youths to be continued.

Outgoing PKR Youth deputy chief Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainuddin, who was also present, pointed out that the upcoming election will be the “most challenging” as the new line-up will be face the mammoth task of leading the party into the next national polls.

“The critical years are ahead of us, the future team will be facing Barisan Nasional (BN), so please choose your leaders wisely,” he added, at the Youth gathering in Dataran Merdeka.

A new line-up of leaders is required to head the some 300,000-strong wing, as more than half the current leadership is above the 35-year-old age limit.

Under Shamsul, the wing sought to have the age restriction lifted for the wing’s leaders but it was rejected at the party’s special congress held last November. 

While PKR has yet to make an official announcement of party polls, it is expected that nominations will be held in March followed by elections for the respective positions in April.

PKR polls were postponed from October last year, to enable the party to focus on Election 2013.