General assembly to set dates for postponed party polls

KUALA LUMPUR: The Umno general assembly will set the dates for party polls, with elections at all levels to be carried out before May 19, six months after the conclusion of the 15th General Election.

Party secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the deadline was in line with the go-ahead that Umno had received to postpone party polls by up to six months after GE15.

“Elections for posts in branches, divisions, the supreme council and the three wings are to be held before that date,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Dates for the party polls, said Ahmad, would be decided during the general assembly starting yesterday until Saturday, adding that preparations would start soon.

Umno had amended its constitution to allow party polls to be held within six months after the conclusion of the general election, revising Articles 10.16.1, 15.3 as well as 18.2.

Umno had postponed its party polls for 18 months after the 2018/2021 term ended on June 30 in 2021, which meant that elections for the 2021/2023 term had to be held before Dec 30 last year.

However, the Umno general assembly in March last year agreed to postpone party polls by up to six months after GE15 to allow it to focus on the general election.

There have been calls for the top two posts – president and deputy president – to be uncontested.

Ahmad said an extraordinary general meeting would also be called within the assembly to further amend the party’s constitution.

“(Umno vice-president) Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who manages the party’s constitution, will be presenting the amendments, including for division information chiefs to be representatives automatically at the general assembly,” he said.

The other amendment to Clause 20.11 will see Umno members having their membership revoked should they leave the party after becoming an assemblyman or MP, or should they contest for any other party or as an independent in an election.

Ahmad said the assembly would not see any foreign dignitary or leader of non-Barisan Nasional parties attending as it would be focusing on party and coalition matters.

Only Barisan component parties will be invited, such as MCA, MIC and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah.

A total of 603 personnel from local and international media outlets will be covering the assembly.