KL rules out early elections, Abdullah to fight in polls<\/p>\n
Jasbant Singh, Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Malaysia will not hold general elections before they are
\nscheduled in 2004, ruling party officials said on Friday, putting
\nan end to speculation that Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would
\nlead his party in polls before stepping down in late 2003.<\/p>\n
In what will be a major test of his leadership, Deputy Prime
\nMinister Ahmad Abdullah Badawi, Mahathir's anointed successor,
\nwill lead the ruling United Malays National Organization in
\nelections that it expects to win over the Islamic fundamentalist
\nopposition.<\/p>\n
\"Abdullah would have about a year to consolidate himself as
\nleader of the party and the government before facing the general
\nelections,\" an UMNO official said on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n
The benchmark Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange index closed 2
\npercent higher at 725.44 points.<\/p>\n
Speculation has been building that Mahathir, 76, would lead
\nthe party one last time in general elections before giving up
\npower to Abdullah in October 2003 following a summit of Islamic
\nnations in Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n
Mahathir, who has overseen Malaysia's transformation into one
\nof Asia's richest nations in 21 years in power, shocked the
\ncountry last weekend when he announced without warning at the
\nparty's annual congress that he was resigning.<\/p>\n
Party leaders persuaded him to retract the resignation. Under
\na transition plan announced Tuesday, Mahathir will hand over his
\npowers as party chief and head of government to Abdullah, 62, in
\n16 months in a smooth transition to ensure stability.<\/p>\n
In power, Abdullah will \"give continuity to policies laid out
\nby Mahathir\" over the past 21 years, an official said, denying
\nreports that Abdullah might replace Mahathir's economic advisers,
\nwho are highly respected by foreign investors.<\/p>\n
Mahathir will keep his eye fixed on the economy, the official
\nsaid, and is likely to appoint a second finance minister to help
\nhim. He has held the finance portfolio for more than a year.<\/p>\n
Abdullah is likely to take over key tasks in running the
\ngovernment when Mahathir returns next week from an Italian
\nholiday. Mahathir has indicated that he would like to focus on a
\nfew major tasks such as education and party matters, the official
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The fundamentalists are perceived to be losing popularity
\nfollowing the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States.
\nMahathir's party hopes to reverse opposition gains from elections
\nin 1999 in reaction to anger over the firing and jailing of his
\npopular then-deputy, Anwar Ibrahim.<\/p>\n
Anwar said in a statement released through his lawyers that
\nthe long transition \"borders on political absurdity. It only
\nconfirms hesitancy in the decision and a perceived lack of
\nconfidence and competence of the anointed successor.\"<\/p>\n
Mahathir has strengthened the party since 1999, and Abdullah,
\ndubbed the \"Mr. Clean\" of Malaysian politics and a seasoned
\ncampaigner, has tried to forge unity and to dispel criticism of
\ncorruption.<\/p>\n
Abdullah spearheaded the party in several by-elections
\nvictories over the past two years against the Pan-Malaysian
\nIslamic Party, whose biggest gain in 1999 was winning control of
\na second of Malaysia's 13 states.<\/p>\n
Abdullah faces his next test soon - to contest by-elections
\nfor the parliamentary and state assembly seats that became empty
\nSunday when the fundamentalists' leader, Fadzil Noor, died after
\nrecent bypass surgery.<\/p>\n
Fadzil, a moderate, was an architect of an opposition
\ncoalition with widely disparate ideologies in 1999 that
\ncapitalized on public disapproval over the treatment of Anwar.
\nThe coalition would have made Anwar prime minister if it had won.<\/p>\n
Anwar has been convicted of sodomy and corruption and is
\nserving prison terms totaling 15 years. He claims he was framed
\nto prevent him from challenging Mahathir for power. The
\ngovernment denies it.<\/p>",
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