(Malaysiakini) Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has accused Prime Minister Najib Abdul
Razak of deflecting the heat from the Election Commission (EC) by
announcing the formation of a parliamentary select committee on
electoral reforms last night.
Anwar
said Pakatan Rakyat agrees in principle with the formation of the
committee, but claimed that the government has more insidious reasons
for the move.
“What is important is that we want action now. Why is the EC given a reprieve? Why is fraud being condoned?” he said in a scathing attack on Najib.
Last night, Najib announced the government's plan to form the committee to discuss all electoral reforms needed to find a “bipartisan agreement without any suspicion that there is manipulation by the government”.
Anwar
stressed that the announcement amounts to an admission that Pakatan and
Bersih 2.0 were right on the money in claiming there are serious flaws
in the electoral system.
He
stressed that Najib had not indicated the government's plans to hold an
emergency sitting - which is necessary to form the special committee -
and raised questions as to how far the premier and his administration
are committed towards electoral reform.
Anwar
said Pakatan Rakyat agrees in principle with the formation of the
committee, but claimed that the government has more insidious reasons
for the move.“What is important is that we want action now. Why is the EC given a reprieve? Why is fraud being condoned?” he said in a scathing attack on Najib.
Last night, Najib announced the government's plan to form the committee to discuss all electoral reforms needed to find a “bipartisan agreement without any suspicion that there is manipulation by the government”.
Anwar
stressed that the announcement amounts to an admission that Pakatan and
Bersih 2.0 were right on the money in claiming there are serious flaws
in the electoral system.
“... (Najib) has
admitted (Bersih 2.0 was right), and the people have paid a price for
that, getting beaten up and all that,” he said when contacted.
He said the issue now is for the government to work on making the EC truly independent so that the commission can start to fulfil its responsibilities.
“Notwithstanding the fact that even our parliamentary system also needs reform, the government must show good faith by getting the EC to act now.
“What is stopping the EC from cleaning up the rolls or reforming postal votes, registering overseas Malaysians as voters, and stopping (the registration of) foreigners as voters? Nobody in this country would feel that the EC is independent of Umno.”
He said the issue now is for the government to work on making the EC truly independent so that the commission can start to fulfil its responsibilities.
“Notwithstanding the fact that even our parliamentary system also needs reform, the government must show good faith by getting the EC to act now.
“What is stopping the EC from cleaning up the rolls or reforming postal votes, registering overseas Malaysians as voters, and stopping (the registration of) foreigners as voters? Nobody in this country would feel that the EC is independent of Umno.”
Najib will 'drag' out issue
Anwar
posited that the proposed select committee itself will pose a problem
in implementation, as the government is not known for taking the role of
Parliament seriously.
He
stressed that Najib had not indicated the government's plans to hold an
emergency sitting - which is necessary to form the special committee -
and raised questions as to how far the premier and his administration
are committed towards electoral reform.
“Look at
Parliament in England - when the riots broke out they called an
emergency sitting, when the News of the World exposé made the news they
called an emergency sitting... in our case, Parliament is completely
relegated to being a rubber stamp of the government.
“There
was nothing in Najib's statement (last night) to suggest that action
will be taken by the EC now. He will delay the matter in the committee.”
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