Muffled internal campaign reveals deep rifts in UMNO
Muffled internal campaign reveals deep rifts in UMNO
By Bill Tarrant
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's usually boisterous political party is holding triennial polls next month, but no one would ever know it by the campaign so far -- or, more to the point, the lack of one.
Mahathir has decreed a total ban on campaigning, citing the corrosive influence of "money politics", or vote buying, and the need to maintain party unity.
Mahathir and his ambitious and charismatic deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, have made a pact not to challenge each other at this year's United Malays National Organization (UMNO) convention. But that just means the battle is being fought by proxy through their followers, analysts say.
"At UMNO election time the only issue is whether to elect number one's men or number two's men. Other issues don't exist," said an academician and UMNO member who did not want to be named.
By convention, the president and deputy president also occupy the posts of prime minister and deputy prime minister. Thus, many political analysts view the triennial UMNO elections as more significant than a general election.
The UMNO-dominated National Front coalition has ruled Malaysia since independence from Britain nearly 40 years ago, and it has won all elections since by landslides.
"While there is no contest for the top two posts, the polls have, nonetheless, attracted interest because of the evident tensions in the relations between the prime minister and his deputy," said IDEA, an independent British research firm in a commentary on the elections.
While the deputy president is the deputy prime minister and also inherits the leadership positions, Mahathir, at 70, shows no sign of wanting to retire.
Anwar, 49, stampeded the last UMNO election convention in 1993, ousting the previous number two, Ghafar Baba. Mahathir, to his apparent displeasure, was left watching on the sidelines as Anwar took control of the convention.
Mahathir wants to make sure nothing like that happens this time around, political analysts said.
Some 200 candidates are vying for three vice presidencies, 25 positions on the Supreme Council and the heads of the youth and women's wings of the party.
The ban on campaigning was imposed after the party leadership caught wind of the fact that some delegates to the party general assembly, scheduled for Oct. 9-12, were willing to sell their votes to the candidates.
Mahathir complained last month that hotels in Kuala Lumpur were "full of people tossing money around".
Anwar announced that those found guilty of even minor offenses of money politics would be disqualified for contesting for office.
The official list of confirmed candidates was due out last week but has been delayed.
UMNO Secretary General and Information Minister Mohamed Rahmat said the party leadership was still investigating allegations of campaign irregularities against some candidates.
Few candidates are speaking publicly and their usual practice of holding sponsored seminars, officiating at grand openings and jockeying for air time on the nightly news has all but ceased. Newspaper reporters complain they have no race to cover.
The early favorites in the vice presidential races are led by Education Minister Najib Abdul Razak who, at 43, is considered a rival to Anwar as the party's future leader.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi and Defence Minister Syed Hamid Albar, both considered Mahathir's men, are also frontrunners for the other two vice presidencies, analysts said.
The battles for the youth and women's wings will also be watched closely. International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz -- another Anwar rival who was cleared in a share allocation scandal last year -- is being challenged for the women's top post.
Youth chairman Rahim Tamby Chik, a staunch Mahathir supporter who was acquitted of sex and corruption charges in separate trials last year, has several challengers.