Provocations In Elections Doesn't Promise Victory - Abdullah

WINDHOEK, April 21 (Bernama) -- Political parties resorting to provocative actions in election campaigns, like what happened during nomination for the Ijok by-election on Thursday, did not mean victory for the parties, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.
The prime minister said such actions should not happen during election campaigns and must be avoided.
"Provocative action approach should not be adopted in election campaigns. It's important for political parties to abide by the election laws. If one wants to campaign, do it properly," he told Malaysian journalists covering his three-day visit to Namibia which ended today.
The prime minister was asked on party supporters hurling plastic bottles and pieces of wood at each other during the nomination process for the April 28 by-election.
Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim and several others sustained minor injuries in the incident.
Abdullah, who is also Internal Security Minister, said his reminder was for both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) contesting in the by-election.
He also said personal attacks were also not a good approach to be used in any election, hoping that it would not become a trend as it was unhealthy.
Abdullah, who is also BN chairman, said he had never issued a directive to the BN machinery to get prepared for the general election.
"I don't have to tell (anybody to be prepared for elections), everybody seems to know," he said, adding that three or four years after a general election is held, all parties would talk about another election.
Nevertheless, the government had a responsibility to implement projects that had been planned so that they were not disrupted or stalled because that was what people wanted, he said.
Namibia is the last leg of Abdullah's eight-day three-nation tour of Africa. Earlier, he visited Sudan and Kenya.


tunku : i suggest during nomination day there wont be marching by supporters to the nomination centre, why make traffic jams and let these fighting incident to occurs?just make it simple and easy, after that you have all the time to campaign till the polling day.