Friday, April 4, 2008

Call for reforms, says Dr M

Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo (left) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (third from right) and Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir (right) at a forum organised by the administrators of the Kelab Maya Umno website at a hotel here yesterday.
Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo (left) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (third from right) and Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir (right) at a forum organised by the administrators of the Kelab Maya Umno website at a hotel here yesterday.

PETALING JAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday urged Umno members to openly demand for reforms in the party, including asking Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resign.


Members from the floor try to stop a man, alleged to be from an opposition party, from speaking during the question-and-answer session at the forum here yesterday.
Members from the floor try to stop a man, alleged to be from an opposition party, from speaking during the question-and-answer session at the forum here yesterday.
The former prime minister said the recent general election, in which Barisan Nasional was denied two-thirds majority in parliament for the first time since 1969, exposed "severe weaknesses" and lack of confidence in the party leadership.

He called on party members to demand for an extraordinary general meeting and amend the party constitution on the election process which requires that candidates vying for key positions must obtain a minimum number of nominations before they are allowed to contest.

Currently, a challenger for the presidency has to be endorsed by 30 per cent of the party's 191 divisions, a requirement he himself had introduced 20 years ago during his tenure as party president.

"Yes, to be fair, I was the one who introduced this rule, but at that time, the divisions were not suppressed by the leadership," Dr Mahathir claimed.

-NSTonline-
By : Ridzwan Abdullah and Anis Ibrahim

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