Seat negotiations within PH still ongoing, says Bersatu
Advertisement
PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution’s speech at the party’s congress in Shah Alam yesterday, that the party will not give up any seats in the next elections, has raised the ire of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
Bersatu bureau of strategy and policy chief Dr Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff said PH was in the midst of seat negotiations and such statements were disrespectful to the coalition partners.
PH is made up of PKR, DAP, Amanah and newcomer Bersatu.
“Such unilateral statements are unhelpful to anyone. More so, at a time when the coalition parties have just started to have a better understanding of each other,” Rais told The Malaysian Insight today.
“Democracy takes work and building a strong coalition requires patience and acumen.”
Rais said the PH leaders have already agreed to work out the seats behind the scenes and that should be respected.
Saifuddin told the PKR congress in Shah Alam yesterday that the party will not give up any seats at the 14th general election. Not even the ones it lost.
During GE13, PKR contested 99 parliamentary seats and won 30 while then coalition partner PAS won 21 of 73 seats contested. DAP won 38 of the 51 seats it contested.
Being newcomers, Bersatu and Amanah have to find seats to contest in GE14 to avoid clashing with their partners.
The task should be easier with PAS out of the equation but it will be an uphill task for the two new parties to contest against PAS and Barisan Nasional for the other seats. – May 22, 2017.