Party polls only after GE, constitution to be changed

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno’s constitution will be amended to postpone the party’s elections and it will only be held after the general election, says deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

He said the party’s internal elections would only be held within six months after the next general election.

“It is crucial that there are no division or split among the party members and to ensure the party can focus on winning the general election,” he said in his winding-up speech at the Umno general assembly yesterday.

There have been calls by party delegates throughout the general assembly that the general election should be held before the party polls.

Youth wing chief Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said Umno should follow MCA’s lead by having party elections only after the conclusion of a general election.

“Umno Youth would like to propose to the top leadership and the assembly to amend the party’s constitution, just as our partner MCA has done, in which the party election will only be held after the general election,” he said during the wing’s general assembly.

He added that doing so would avoid unnecessary internal politics that could jeopardise unity within the party, as the focus would be only on the “bigger prize” – the general election.

Puteri Umno chief Datuk Zahida Zarik Khan also said the party constitution should be amended to allow internal polls to be held only after a general election.

The delegates felt that it should be done that way to ensure the party stays together and stronger to face the bigger challenge of the next general election.