KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will say he will not be defending the Umno presidency post on Wednesday ahead of the start of the Umno divisional elections, the Malaysian Insider reported this morning without mentioning its source.
The announcement, to be made after briefing the Cabinet, will mark the end of Abdullah's premiership and would set the stage for Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to be unopposed as Umno president and Malaysia's prime minister, the report said.
"Under the transition plan accepted by Abdullah, and endorsed by the party's supreme council late last month, the PM was expected to decline receiving any nominations from the divisions. In return, the party elections were postponed from December to March to give him the time to complete several reforms he started," the Malaysian Insider said.
However, the same report also said there has been speculation that Abdullah will "surprise everyone" by deciding to defend his position.
On Sept 26, Abdullah said he would decide by Oct 9 whether or not to defend his post in Umno when announcing that Umno will postpone its annual general assembly and supreme council election from December to March next year to facilitate "an early transition of power". This meant that the original June 2010 plan to hand over power was to be brought forward.
"I have a lot of work to do. I am not going to leave," Abdullah was quoted as saying on Sept 26 when asked to comment on rumours of him leaving.
The Malaysian Insider report today went on to say that Abdullah had been mum on his plans for the upcoming Umno elections because he believes Umno cannot survive an all-out contest for the presidency between him and Najib, although he was "disappointed with the manner the March transition plan was sprung on him".
"I also sense that he does not want to be remembered as someone who put his needs before the party's. There was pressure from different sources for him to contest, but he just wants to complete several reforms he started," The Malaysian Insider said, quoting an unnamed official who attended a meeting with Abdullah.
The Umno divisional meetings, where each division will nominate their choice candidates for the president, deputy president and other supreme council posts, is scheduled to take place from Thursday, Oct 9 through Nov 9.
A candidate needs to have at least 30% or 58 nominations from the 191 Umno divisions to be eligible to contest for president.
Cindy Yeap
The Edge
06/10/08
PEOPLE'S POWER
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