BN free to call election anytime – Umno Youth

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KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional (BN) is always ready to face the coming general elections regardless of whether it is called before or after the newly formed Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform has made any recommendations on the country’s electoral process.

Stating this yesterday, Sabah Umno Youth deputy chief Mohd Joh Wid said the 13th general election and the study conducted by the committee are two separate matters.

“Whatever it is, the decision on when the election should be held is the prerogative of the Prime Minister although in terms of preparation we have always been ready for the election to be called any time,” he said.

Mohd Joh was asked to comment on the suggestion by United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok that the general election should not be held before the Parliamentary Select Committee completes its work.

Dompok said this is because the select committee would be automatically dissolved with the dissolution of the Parliament, thus would not be able to realise its objective of presenting its findings for future improvement of the election process.

Without rejecting Dompok’s suggestion, Mohd Joh stressed that while there is a need to address certain misconceptions pertaining to the election process, BN is free to call for the election anytime regardless of the progress made by the committee.

“This is not the question of whether we should wait for the committee or not, but whether this will make it look like we are using the committee as an excuse not to call for the election because we are not ready for it yet. Bottom line, we are ready and we have nothing to hide,” he said.

“If we have to wait for the committee to complete their work, then obviously the progress made by the committee will be an indicator, as if the election will only be held after it is completed,” he said.