KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — PKR leaders are struggling to present a united front amid more and more allegations of voter manipulation and ballot tampering in this year’s party polls, with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim now being pressured to defend the party’s elections process.
On Friday, the PKR de facto leader convened a press conference at the party’s headquarters, blaming “gangsters” infiltrating the party for the irregularities, forcing it to abandon voting at 27 branches and indefinitely delay the poll results.
But what was apparent was that Anwar took great pains to portray a united party leadership by making sure the three candidates vying for the coveted no. 2 spot — Azmin Ali, Selangor mentri besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, and outgoing secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail were present.
“This is a competition among friends, we are not fighting Umno here. We are still together,” Anwar had said, repeatedly stressing that the heated PKR race was a “friendly competition” and that there were no personal rivalries between the three.
But the behaviour of the three candidates, as well as their body language, told a different story.
Azmin, Khalid and Saifuddin entered the headquarters for the press conference and left without saying much to each other, and the rivals looked quite uncomfortable sharing a platform.
It is an open secret that both Azmin and Khalid are staunch rivals, and that the Azmin had tried to pressure the Selangor MB to step down earlier this year, following complaints from party members of a lack of consultation between Selangor’s administration and PKR.
It is also understood that Saifuddin is the preferred choice for deputy president by the party leadership, as his entry to the race is backed a host of younger PKR leaders including outgoing strategic director Rafizi Ramli, and outgoing vice-presidents Chua Tian Chang and Nurul Izzah Anwar.
But Azmin is supported by a sizeable grassroots base of long-time party supporters who will flight tooth and nail to see the Gombak MP retain his position as PKR’s No. 2 leader.
“There have been complaints that Anwar has been seen to be taking sides...so what he did at the press conference earlier (today) was to present a neutral front, and to try and control the problems that have surfaced from the party elections,” a senior PKR leader spoke to The Malay Mail Online on the condition of anonymity.
PKR has declared its election process a “success,” despite the allegations that are forcing it to hold fresh voting at 27 branches and delay announcing the results indefinitely.
The 27 out of 198 branches nationwide which have to undergo fresh polls are Hulu Langat, Sabak Bernam, Sungai Besar, Subang, Klang, Selayang, Kota Raja, Kuala Selangor, Hulu Selangor, Kapar, Setiu, Kuala Nerus, Kemaman, Dungun, Paya Besar, Nibong Tebal, Jerantut, Batang Sadong, Kapit, Pengerang, Tenggara,Tenom, Keningau, Bukit Katil, Tawau, Papar and Sg Petani.
The party has also received 331 official complaints on some party candidates, campaigns and electoral process. 100 of these complaints have been found to have merit.
Eight PKR members have so far been suspended pending investigations into a variety of offences offences committed over the course of the party’s elections recently.
The offences range from threats and cheating to disrupting the polls process and publicly criticising the party or other candidates during the election period.
One of the more prominent casualties is former Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam who allegedly made a media statement accusing Khalid - a deputy presidential candidate — of engaging in money politics in the Kuala Selangor divisional poll.
The party has repeatedly played down allegations of vote manipulation and polling delays in the party’s internal polls, with its elections director Johari calling it manageable “hiccups.”
PKR’s last party elections in 2010 was mired with allegations of vote fraud and corruption, which led to some leaders leaving the party in protest.
