Monday 7 December 2009

Chua: Fresh polls unlikely...

The fresh polls that warring factions in MCA had earlier agreed on may not take place because only 13 central committee (CC) members are willing to resign, less than the two-thirds or 20 resignations required under the party's constitution.

Party deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek told reporters at the MCA headquarters today after chairing the first meeting of a special committee that he was told only 13 of the 42 CC members, including him, were willing to resign to pave the way for fresh polls.

The special committee was set up last week to look into the constitutional and other aspects related to the proposed fresh elections to break the leadership impasse, and whether it should involve the Youth and Wanita wings.

Under the MCA constitution, fresh polls can only be called if one-third or 20 of the elected CC members resign.

“A standard resignation letter will be prepared to facilitate this resignation process,” said Dr Chua, who refused to reveal the identity of the other 12 CC members who have resigned.

He was also unsure when fresh polls can be held, saying that it depends on whether seven more CC members would resign.

On Nov 28, vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai had announced that 13 CC members from his faction had signed undated resignation letters. However, according to Chua, only a dozen had made their intentions clear.

He said early fresh polls would cause technical and legal problems such as the tenure of the new leadership -- should it be in power for three years or one-and-a-half years?

The tenure for the incumbent leadership expires in 2011.


The party's lawyers had been directed to also look into other problems like whether the fresh polls should include the Youth and Wanita wings headed by Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong and Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, who are aligned to Liow.

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