Revised pact: A win-win for both camps?

The speculation that Umno’s polls could be put off to next June to pave the way for an early power transition has sparked mixed responses from party leaders. It is believed that the party is divided over such postponement, some want Umno president and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to instead hand over the reins immediately to his deputy, Najib Abdul Razak.
Umno is gearing up for a bitter contest for top leadership posts in December when the party holds its annual general assembly, with a few leaders suggesting that this would be the best time for Abdullah to quit.
But for those who back the new power transfer date, the proposed arrangement will be a ‘win-win’ for the two squabbling camps. Abdullah had earlier stitched a pact with Najib to transfer power in two years’ time - in June 2010.
“It’s a good compromise - between this December and 2010. It’s a win-win formula for both groups - the group which wants him to go early and (the group which wants) to stick to 2010. June next year is the middle point,” Umno supreme council member Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz told Malaysiakini.
“It can give time to the prime minister to sort out whatever that is needed to be sorted out,” he said, adding that it will also help to resolve the current political unrest within the ruling party.
Nevertheless, Nazri - who is also de facto law minister - stressed that the postponement of the election must be done in accordance to the party’s constitution.
Best to let members decide
However, other leaders argued that the party grassroots should have the final say on the transition plan.
Supreme council member Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad wants the party to stick to its December election date. “To me, (the) sooner the better. At the end of the day, we should leave the matter to the party grassroots to decide as this is their right under the party constitution,” he said. “We’ve long ‘tuned’ our mind to the December date and all prepared for that,” added Abdul Latiff, who is also the deputy health minister.
Another supreme council member Mahadzir Khalid, when contacted, said as far as he was aware, the postponement of the party polls has not been discussed.
Under the Umno constitution, the party must hold an annual general meeting (AGM) within 18 months of its last meeting, with elections for party leadership being held every three years.
It is not clear whether the rumoured date of June 2 for the AGM - and to let Abdullah pass the baton to Najib - falls within the 18-month duration.
This is because the last AGM was held between Nov 5 and 9 last year and going by that calculation, the cut-off point for the 18-month period will be May 2009.
However, Umno information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib was quoted in previous media reports as saying that the 18-month duration will only lapse in June next year.
New proposal made yesterday
The new deal was said to be negotiated at an Umno management committee meeting yesterday.
The meeting, which was chaired by Najib in his capacity as deputy president, comprised several top party leaders - vice-presidents Muhyiddin and Ali Rustam, secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Muhammad Taib, Wanita chief Rafidah Aziz and Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein.
All but two - Tengku Adnan and Muhammad Taib - are known to want a quicker power transition.
An emergency Umno supreme council - the party’s highest decision-making body - slated for tomorrow is expected to discuss the matter.
While the new pact may help to pacify the growing calls for Abdullah to quit earlier than 2010, it however may not be able to silent those who are demanding the embattled premier to resign by the end of this year.
The Umno supreme council, which last met a week ago, saw a number of senior leaders telling Abdullah to quit earlier than he had originally planned.
The party No 1 was warned that he may not be able to get the 58 nominations needed to defend his post when Umno’s 191 divisions begin their meetings on Oct 9.

tunku : according to source, pak lah is trying hard to postpone the party election to june next year in order for him to stay longer till that time. some of the umno supreme council members agreed to his proposal and some are not. some told him to go june next year, some says now and few of them says 2010.as per reported by mykmu, najib did not agree for the postponement which i think is right. the party election should not be postponed.let the party members decide.if majority wants pak lah to stay on, let it be then , also if the majority wants him to go,then he has to.so in order for things to be running smoothly in umno without much havoc, it is best for pak lah to set a NEAREST date for him to resign, that is if he really cares about umno.if he cares more for the family then he will not do it.