GE13 could go either way, says Kit Siang
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The results of the next general election could go either way, said DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang in a statement today.
He added that no one, including Umno leaders, believed that BN could regain two-third parliamentary majority or retake the Selangor government.
“(So) the real issue is whether Umno/BN can win a parliamentary majority as the estimates by the psephologists (people who monitor election trends) for the 13th general election (GE13) range from a 20-seat majority for BN or Pakatan either way.
“In other words, the outcome for the 13th general election is a toss-up - it could go either way with BN returned to federal power or Pakatan Rakyat replacing BN to break Umno hegemony to form the central government in Putrajaya,” he said.
The general election must be called by April 28 next year, when the parliament’s mandate expires.
Lim (right)
said that although the election date has become a “national guessing
game” for over two years, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has yet to
call for elections because he is keen not to suffer thw same fate as his
predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
To do this, said the Ipoh Timur MP, Najib needs to time the election such that BN performs better than it did in the 2008 general election, which is to win at least 149 out of 222 parliamentary seats, or to recapture Selangor.
“But the greatest irony is that even Najib does not have the answer as he agonises for over two years on when to call for the 13th general election - not because of any high national consideration or reason of state but purely from the selfish standpoint of his own personal political survival,” he said.
Abdullah had faced pressure from his own party to step down after BN’s worst showing ever in an election, and eventually resigned as the fifth prime minister and Umno president in 2009.
Lim said that the current political scenario would test which political coalition is prepared to put national interest above all others, and concluded that his own coalition has passed while BN failed.
“For instance, Pakatan Rakyat’s 13th general election call and objective is the positive and constructive theme of ‘Unite and Rule’ unifying all races, religions and states.
“Umno and Barisan Nasional, in their desperate bid to hold on to power, are resorting to the traditional but divisive ‘Divide and Rule’ tactics polarising the races, religions and even the states,” he said.
He added that no one, including Umno leaders, believed that BN could regain two-third parliamentary majority or retake the Selangor government.
“(So) the real issue is whether Umno/BN can win a parliamentary majority as the estimates by the psephologists (people who monitor election trends) for the 13th general election (GE13) range from a 20-seat majority for BN or Pakatan either way.
“In other words, the outcome for the 13th general election is a toss-up - it could go either way with BN returned to federal power or Pakatan Rakyat replacing BN to break Umno hegemony to form the central government in Putrajaya,” he said.
The general election must be called by April 28 next year, when the parliament’s mandate expires.
Lim (right)
said that although the election date has become a “national guessing
game” for over two years, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has yet to
call for elections because he is keen not to suffer thw same fate as his
predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.To do this, said the Ipoh Timur MP, Najib needs to time the election such that BN performs better than it did in the 2008 general election, which is to win at least 149 out of 222 parliamentary seats, or to recapture Selangor.
“But the greatest irony is that even Najib does not have the answer as he agonises for over two years on when to call for the 13th general election - not because of any high national consideration or reason of state but purely from the selfish standpoint of his own personal political survival,” he said.
Abdullah had faced pressure from his own party to step down after BN’s worst showing ever in an election, and eventually resigned as the fifth prime minister and Umno president in 2009.
Lim said that the current political scenario would test which political coalition is prepared to put national interest above all others, and concluded that his own coalition has passed while BN failed.
“For instance, Pakatan Rakyat’s 13th general election call and objective is the positive and constructive theme of ‘Unite and Rule’ unifying all races, religions and states.
“Umno and Barisan Nasional, in their desperate bid to hold on to power, are resorting to the traditional but divisive ‘Divide and Rule’ tactics polarising the races, religions and even the states,” he said.
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