Tackling the ‘direct candidate’ issue

KUCHING: Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem will hold a press conference tomorrow on the issue of “Barisan Nasional direct candidates”, according to media invitations sent out yesterday.

The media invitations did not elaborate on the matter, except to say a “direct candidates” announcement would be made at the CM’s Wisma Bapa office at 2pm.

Leaders of Barisan component parties, SUPP and SPDP, declined to comment when contacted yesterday.

Similarly, members of their breakaway parties, UPP and Teras, would not reveal much.

In the past, Barisan direct candidates referred to those contesting under the Barisan ticket without a component party.

Previous examples include Datuk James Dawos and Billy Abit Joo, who later joined Barisan’s PBB and PRS.

But for the coming polls, Adenan has not made clear the mechanisms of direct candidacies.

Any Barisan direct candidate could come from UPP and Teras.

SUPP and SPDP have consistently been opposed to UPP and Teras being admitted as component parties.

The Chief Minister had said that only his handpicked candidates can use the Barisan’s scales logo. He has taken to calling this his “Team Adenan”.

UPP deputy president Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said, as far as he was concerned, “the incumbents have been instructed to continue working on the ground and to do whatever is necessary” ahead of the polls.

PBB supreme council member Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah told The Star the issues could have been solved had all parties agreed to compromise.

“The CM made proposals to the party leaders. They might have been okay with a compromise but not their party members,” Karim said.

But he added that the overlaps at this point were not as serious as widely believed.

“It’s not a dozen or two dozen seats, it’s not even 10 seats.

“The CM has taken a longer time because he is meticulous,” he added.

Asked about the likelihood of incumbents being retained – which would give the breakaway parties an advantage – the PBB supreme council member replied: “Why not, if they are still popular, they ought to be given another term.”