AMPANG, Sept 13 — PKR will soon formulate a brand new common policy framework for the yet-to-be-formed opposition pact to replace the now-defunct Pakatan Rakyat (PR) that some have dubbed “Pakatan 2.0”, the party’s vice-president Rafizi Ramli said.
Rafizi said the new common policy framework will take into consideration feedback from other parties but will clearly draw out the guidelines for the coalition members in order to leave little “grey area.”
“That’s why this talk with parties is important partly to gather the feedback to know the boundaries and some of the common agreements about what are the key principles,” he said, referring to tomorrow’s meeting with PAS, the second such discussion held by PKR on Pakatan 2.0’s formation.
“And I think once we complete, I think PKR’s Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah (Wan Ismail) will actually at least spell out the key principles which, unless parties agree to this very basic principles first, then I think it’s very difficult for parties to not agree to fit in,” he said on the sidelines of the Kongres Mahasiswa forum today.
He explained that having a clearly-defined common policy framework will also allow other parties to make the decision whether or not to join the new federal opposition pact.
“Having this spelt out very clearly from the very beginning I think by itself will help parties decide whether or not they want to be part of the coalition,” he said.
Rafizi also insisted that the new common policy framework will not have the “looseness” of the previous framework used by PR, which has since been dissolved.
“It’ll be defined by a set of very clear policies, principles, even mechanism for decision making, so I think any party who wants to join it must also be very clear of the commitment,” he said.
The three-party PR alliance comprising PKR, DAP and PAS was thrown into a state of uncertainty recently after the Islamist party decided during its June 6 muktamar to cut ties with the DAP for the latter’s rejection of its hudud ambitions.
The decision later led to the DAP declaring PR’s death as a coalition.
PKR and DAP are in the midst of forming a new opposition pact, but both are now in disagreement over PAS’s presence.
PKR insists that PAS must be allowed to join for the pact to be a viable contender to BN’s rule, while DAP is adamant that the Islamist party is now a political rival after it threatened to contest the secular party’s seats in the next general election.
Rafizi said earlier today that PKR will be meeting with PAS tomorrow to discuss possibly including the Islamist party in the new opposition pact.
