KUALA LUMPUR: The pace for the impending general election has stepped up with the Barisan Nasional scheduled to call for a supreme council meeting here on Aug 15.
Barisan secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir has already notified the respective heads of the various component parties of this meeting.
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While official invitations had yet to be sent out, the leaders had been told to block their calendar for the meeting, which is expected to focus on the elections.
Highly placed sources said the Barisan supreme council meeting at its headquarters at PWTC is a follow-up to the Umno supreme council on Thursday.
The officials said the main topic would be a general assessment on the preparations of Barisan on the polls and the feedback from the respective leaders.
Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan is currently on a nationwide tour, together with Barisan leaders.
“He is expected to share with us the strengths and weaknesses of the BN at the state level,” one Barisan leader added.
The official said all indications pointed to the polls to be held after the Budget 2023 was tabled at the Dewan Rakyat in October.
It is understood that the many initiatives from the Budget would serve as a "feel good" factor and the Barisan wanted to capture the sentiments of the electorate.
Barisan sources described the time frame for GE15 preparations as “tight” and that while the prerogative to call a general election is entirely in the hands of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob, they were working towards the possibility of November.
