Tug of war between DAP and ROS continues

PETALING JAYA: It’s back to a tug of war between DAP and the Registrar of Societies (ROS) over the central executive committee’s (CEC) re-election issue.

The ROS has cautioned DAP against equating yesterday’s court ruling to getting a green light to hold fresh polls tomorrow.

Stressing that the court matter was strictly between DAP and one of its members, an ROS spokesman said its role was to ensure party rules are not breached.

“In accordance with the DAP’s constitution, central elections should be held in a national congress with a 10-week notice given to branches and delegates.

“If DAP presses on with its intention to hold fresh polls on Sunday in a special congress, they should change their party constitution first,” he said.

The spokesman said this in response to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s claim that the court decision to strike out the suit filed by A. David Dass meant that they had the right to hold the polls via a special congress.

Speaking to reporters after the court ruling yesterday, Lim accused the ROS of being ignorant of the law.

He had also called on ROS director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman to resign, alleging that his decisions were politically motivated.

On July 30, the ROS directed DAP to hold fresh polls following complaints of discrepancies lodged by party members.

DAP’s dilemma started after the leadership decided to amend the results of the Dec 15 central executive committee election some three weeks later on grounds of “technical glitch” that resulted in Lim’s political secretary Zairil Khir Johari assuming an elected CEC post.

A total of 2,576 delegates are expected to attend the special congress to be held at the One World Hotel in Bandar Utama here.

On the same issue, DAP special congress steering committee chairman Anthony Loke Siew Fook said: “Under Standing Order 46 in the First Schedule of the party’s constitution, there is a provision that states the CEC election can be held in a special congress.”