Zaid has apparently the support of a couple of Malay tabloids and a news portal
The race for the PKR deputy presidency has also now turned into a referendum whether the party should remain as “Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim party”, or an organisation free of hero-worshipping and Umno culture, said party insiders.
In announcing his decision to contest the deputy presidency last Monday, Zaid had said that he was offering an Anwar-Zaid team to lead the party.
“This whole election is premised on one member one vote. Don’t you think the party leader should also be voted by members,” said former communications director Jonson Chong who resigned from the political bureau last month.
Leaders aligned to vice-president Azmin Ali however were keen to defend the status quo, with Wan Azizah as the president and Anwar continue serving as de facto leader.
The post of de facto leader was created after party election 2007 as a compromise between two groups who wanted Anwar to contest the presidency and the other who was against it, fearing that the party would get deregistered as the former deputy prime minister was still banned from holding elected political post.
The ban expired in April 2008.
Chong, who admitted to be a Zaid supporter, said he was in favour of Anwar and Zaid leading the party through election.
“In our party constitution, since when there is a post of Ketua Umum? Why should anyone in the party be above the constitution?” said Chong.
“If we allow the MPP (supreme council) to elect Ketua Umum, we are removing the powers from our party members,” he added.
An Azmin campaigner however pointed out that there is nothing wrong with the current leadership arrangement.
“Why should Anwar takeover? If it’s not broken, why fix it,” said the party worker who spoke anonymously.
“It is a big risk. Anwar is facing another trial, if he goes to prison there will be a leadership vacuum,” he added.
For another Azmin supporter, Zaid has been trying to undermine Anwar’s leadership through his campaign.
“He is trying to position himself as the next leader of Keadilan. He keeps telling members that Anwar is going to prison,” said a political bureau member who declined to be named.
“He will also get one or two divisions to nominate him as president, but he won’t challenge Wan Azizah. He will just use it as a warning to show that he is an influential leader,” he said.
The staunch supporter of Azmin also claimed that Zaid has bought over at least two Malay biweekly tabloids and controls an online news portal to facilitate his campaign.
He alleged that Zaid has been using the media to build up support for his campaign.
“His evaluation is that he is leading the race in Sabah, Sarawak and non-Malay members, so he needed a little bit more support from the Malay ground to ensure is victory,” he said.
Zaid’s status as a new member and his alleged lack of understanding to the party struggle has also been used against him.
“I have no problem with Zaid. But there is nothing wrong if he tries to understand the party first. It is too early. He may be a great leader, but it is too early,” said supreme council member and Sungai Petani MP Datuk Johari Abdul.
He is one of the 20 PKR MPs who have endorsed Azmin as the deputy president but some MPs have protested the inclusion of their names, similar to some of the 13 state assemblymen from Selangor and Negri Sembilan who allegedly back the party vice-president. Zaid has not received public endorsement from any PKR legislators, but is said to be popular among the non-Malays and PKR members from Sabah and Sarawak.
The former de facto law minister is also seen to be more popular outside the party, which an insider said would put the party in bad light if Azmin wins.
“Zaid was sacked from Umno only recently, but Azmin who has been with Keadilan from day one is accused of bringing Umno culture into the party. Zaid is smarter in rebranding himself,” said a party election strategist.
“Because of Zaid’s campaign, his defeat will badly affect the party. The problem is a lot of voters out there do not know Azmin as much as they know Zaid,” said the grassroots leader who has worked with both Azmin and Zaid.
He pointed out that Zaid has successfully spoken many times against what he alleged as Umno culture encroaching into the party.
“Which direction Azmin or Zaid wants to take the party is still unknown, but people out there have made up their mind about the two leaders,” he added.
Some 400,000 members will vote between September 17 and November 21.
The party amended its constitution last year allowing all members to vote for divisional leaders and the 25 members of the central leadership council — including the president, deputy president and four vice-presidents.
The party’s 218 divisions will hold two separate meetings: One for the annual general meeting and election of divisional leaders, and a second meeting to vote for national leaders.
The divisions will vote for national leaders on weekends, from October 29 to November 21.
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