Zaid wants Anwar out, Azmin disqualified

By Stephanie Sta Maria - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Zaid Ibrahim has called on PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim to step down and vice-president Azmin Ali to be disqualified from the deputy presidential race.

Analysis: Pulling out to give Azmin a hollow victory?
The former law minister, who withdrew from the number two contest yesterday, branded Azmin as a “cheat” and an “abuser of the election system”.  He also resigned from all party posts.
“I think Azmin has to be disqualified,” he told a press conference here this morning.

“You cannot -- just because you were caught in a particular division -- decide to hold a re-election there. People who abuse and cheat should be disqualified,” he said.

Zaid was referring to recent allegations that blatant fraud in Libaran, Sandakan and Tawau resulted in Azmin winning a large number of votes in those divisions.

“Miracles have taken place in these three divisions,” he remarked.

“But the verdict is still out on Azmin's leadership. He seems so focused on trying to conquer Putrajaya that he has forgotten how to be of service to party members and the rakyat,” he said.

Azmin yesterday denied that he was behind the election malpractices and electoral fraud as alleged by Zaid's camp.

Zaid, who was PKR's Federal Territories chief until his decision to step down yesterday, then turned his focus on Anwar whom he indicated was the other half of the party's problem.

“If PKR wants to move forward, Anwar and Azmin must go,” he declared.

“They are the source of the problem. Anwar, as the de facto leader, has failed to hold the party together (and) move the opposition forward with new policies. The litany of his failures are plenty.

“Anwar should step aside and let someone else take the helm. He has enough personal problems of his own to manage. Azmin is also one of his problems, so both have to step aside and allow PKR to be managed properly,” he said.

'We cannot blame others'

Zaid also dismissed speculation that his resignation and criticism were because the contest for deputy presidency had not unfolded in his favour.

Insisting that he was acting with “honesty and sincerity”, the former law minister said that he had a vision of what Malaysian politics should be, which is better leaders and policies.

“We cannot have a weak leadership and one that is always blaming others. We've blamed Barisan Nasional for the failure of Sept 16, the Perak coup and the defections of our MPs.”

“For PKR to revive itself, there has to be a new leadership. We need a leadership that can accept party weaknesses and overcome them. Of course we value the contributions of the old guards but times have changed,” he added.

Calling PKR “weak”, “fledgling” and “tottering”, Zaid warned that Pakatan Raykat would also suffer if PKR maintained the status quo.

No need to show proof

Zaid also dismissed Anwar's demand that evidence of electoral fraud and malpractices be brought forward to the central election commission (CEC).

According to him, the elections were in “shambles” and Anwar was allegedly denying investigations into the hundreds of complaints that had been lodged.

“I'm sure Anwar knows there is fraud so there is no need to prove anything,” he said.

“But if I have to, then I will submit my proof –- 162 complaints and a video recording -- to an independent body like Bersih.

“The CEC is aware of what's going on. Anwar should stop playing politics and pretending. I'm not the only dissatisfied one. There are other candidates who are dissatisfied. The only one who is satisfied is Azmin,” he added.

Asked whether he would be submitting an official quit notice to the party of his withdrawal from the elections, Zaid appeared to relent on his earlier refusal to do so.

“When it comes to rules, they are so strict. If they want me to submit a quit notice, then I will,” he said.

Yesterday, secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said that Zaid was still in the race as he had only announced his withdrawal on his blog and not via an official quit notice.

Zaid initially refused to submit a quit notice, saying it was unnecessary for a party that had “no respect for procedures”.

In response to the possibility of him quitting the party altogether, Zaid coyly replied that he would stay on if the members could “accept the root cause of the problem and the solution”.

“If I am still a lone ranger, I will have to examine the options I have left,” he said. “But I will still continue the struggle for a better future for the country.”

Zaid withdrew from the deputy presidential race, citing rampant election irregularities. He also quit all his party posts with immediate effect.

His withdrawal allows Mustaffa Kamil Ayub to offer a tougher fight. So far, Mustaffa had been left far behind in the number of votes gained, and Azmin appears set for victory.