Azmin to officiate PKR Youth and Women's wing congress

Azmin (left) met Anwar (right) at Parliament for talks to discuss several issues including his attendance in the party's upcoming national congress this Thursday (Dec 5) in Melaka.

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali will officiate the party’s Youth Congress on Friday (Dec 6), says party communications director Fahmi Fadzil.

Fahmi also said Azmin will officiate PKR Women’s wing national congress on Dec 5 (Thursday) in Melaka.

Fahmi said the decision was made after a special political bureau meeting, involving leaders aligned to Azmin and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, took place in Parliament on Wednesday (Dec 4) evening.

“We have discussed several issues which includes preparations on the national congress, and I can announce here that the Youth and Women’s wing national congress will be officiated by Azmin.

“On the other hand, the Youth and Women’s wing congress will be closed by the Deputy Prime Minister."

Asked if there was peace in the party following mounting speculation of strained ties between leaders aligned to the respective factions of Azmin and Anwar, Fahmi merely said, “God-willing, PKR will become stronger following the meeting and the unity that will be shown in the upcoming national congress.

Fahmi also said there will be no “parallel congress” being held at the same time as PKR’s national congress, following talk of such gatherings, which was said to be led by leaders aligned to Azmin’s faction.

“There’s only one congress and I think Azmin, Tian Chua, Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar and myself have remained consistent that there’s only one congress,” he added.

Previously, Azmin was dropped from opening the PKR Youth congress on Dec 6, as Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah, who is the PKR advisory council chief, will launch it instead.

It triggered outcry from leaders aligned with Azmin’s faction, where several leaders in PKR Youth have signed a joint statement condemning party secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution for triggering a “leadership crisis”.

This was in response to a statement by Saifuddin on Nov 12, who rescinded the invitation to Azmin for officiating the PKR Youth national congress.