Unless Putrajaya gives a clear promise that reforms will be implemented before the 13th general election, the April 28 Bersih rally will go on.
KUALA LUMPUR: Polls reform group, Bersih’s chief S Ambiga has declared that there will be no more talks with the Election Commission (EC) and that the coalition will proceed with its planned mass “sit in” protest on April 28th.
The former Bar Council president told FMT that “it would be a waste of time” to engage the body after it failed to respond to Bersih’s demand that poll reforms be implemented before the 13th national polls are held.
The group announced on Wednesday that it would hold a nationwide “sit in” after they deemed Putrajaya’s election reform pledges a failure. The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) had issued its report on the matter on Tuesday.
Bersih detractors claimed the planned protest, dubbed “Bersih 3.0″, showed the group’s insincerity. They said the group was never keen on a diplomatic solution but wanted a street protest aimed at overthrowing the government.
Barisan Nasional lawmakers questioned the hasty decision to hold the protest and said its motive was suspect as it gave no timeline for the EC to study the report which is crucial for the recommendations to take place.
Ambiga said the only positive response tolerable would be a clear promise by Putrajaya that the reforms would be implemented by the 13th general election.
“Yes. Unless they make it clear, it is a waste of time. We will not engage the EC anymore,” she said.
Putrajaya’s move to set up a PSC came after the Najib administration grappled with widespread condemnation for its strong arm tactics against Bersih and its supporters at the July rally, forcing the government to consider the group’s demands in a move to contain a potential voter backlash.
No coup
Over 1,600 people were detained as a result, including Ambiga and scores of opposition lawmakers, but the group later declared the event a success based on the number of participants and the publicity it earned in both local and international media.
The July rally, dubbed Bersih 2.0, was the second mass protest held by the group and prior to yesterday’s announcement, talks were rife that the polls watchdog was planning to hold a third.
BN leaders said the rumours strengthened their suspicion that Bersih, backed by the federal opposition bloc Pakatan Rakyat, was planning to hold a series of street demonstrations resembling Egypt’s “Tahrir Square” uprising in a bid to unseat the ruling coalition.
They said Bersih’s complete disregard of EC’s positive response in adopting some of the Bersih-endorsed recommendations made by the PSC proved the allegation that the April 28 demonstration was made even before the report was produced.
But Ambiga said the key motivation behind Bersih 3.0 was not the overthrow of BN.
“We are not the one rushing it (protest). They are the one rushing to hold elections when the mandate only ends in 2013.
“They have all the time to implement the reforms now but they are not doing it,” she said, reiterating that the April 28 sit in will be held as a protest against Putrajaya’s lack of political will to ensure reforms are in place before the coming polls.
She also denied the group had already planned Bersih 3.0 before the PSC report was finalised although there were talks of “what their next course of action would be”.
“I had made it clear that what we do will be subject to what the PSC say”.
Bersih 3.0 will be held at the historic Dataran Merdeka and will go on from 2pm to 4pm.
KUALA LUMPUR: Polls reform group, Bersih’s chief S Ambiga has declared that there will be no more talks with the Election Commission (EC) and that the coalition will proceed with its planned mass “sit in” protest on April 28th.The former Bar Council president told FMT that “it would be a waste of time” to engage the body after it failed to respond to Bersih’s demand that poll reforms be implemented before the 13th national polls are held.
The group announced on Wednesday that it would hold a nationwide “sit in” after they deemed Putrajaya’s election reform pledges a failure. The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) had issued its report on the matter on Tuesday.
Bersih detractors claimed the planned protest, dubbed “Bersih 3.0″, showed the group’s insincerity. They said the group was never keen on a diplomatic solution but wanted a street protest aimed at overthrowing the government.
Barisan Nasional lawmakers questioned the hasty decision to hold the protest and said its motive was suspect as it gave no timeline for the EC to study the report which is crucial for the recommendations to take place.
Ambiga said the only positive response tolerable would be a clear promise by Putrajaya that the reforms would be implemented by the 13th general election.
“Yes. Unless they make it clear, it is a waste of time. We will not engage the EC anymore,” she said.
Putrajaya’s move to set up a PSC came after the Najib administration grappled with widespread condemnation for its strong arm tactics against Bersih and its supporters at the July rally, forcing the government to consider the group’s demands in a move to contain a potential voter backlash.
No coup
Over 1,600 people were detained as a result, including Ambiga and scores of opposition lawmakers, but the group later declared the event a success based on the number of participants and the publicity it earned in both local and international media.
The July rally, dubbed Bersih 2.0, was the second mass protest held by the group and prior to yesterday’s announcement, talks were rife that the polls watchdog was planning to hold a third.
BN leaders said the rumours strengthened their suspicion that Bersih, backed by the federal opposition bloc Pakatan Rakyat, was planning to hold a series of street demonstrations resembling Egypt’s “Tahrir Square” uprising in a bid to unseat the ruling coalition.
They said Bersih’s complete disregard of EC’s positive response in adopting some of the Bersih-endorsed recommendations made by the PSC proved the allegation that the April 28 demonstration was made even before the report was produced.
But Ambiga said the key motivation behind Bersih 3.0 was not the overthrow of BN.
“We are not the one rushing it (protest). They are the one rushing to hold elections when the mandate only ends in 2013.
“They have all the time to implement the reforms now but they are not doing it,” she said, reiterating that the April 28 sit in will be held as a protest against Putrajaya’s lack of political will to ensure reforms are in place before the coming polls.
She also denied the group had already planned Bersih 3.0 before the PSC report was finalised although there were talks of “what their next course of action would be”.
“I had made it clear that what we do will be subject to what the PSC say”.
Bersih 3.0 will be held at the historic Dataran Merdeka and will go on from 2pm to 4pm.
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