UMNO begins crucial meetings

UMNO begins crucial meetings

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia's ruling party began on Thursday
a month of local-level meetings which will help decide the future
leadership of the party and the country.

The Tawau division of the United Malays National Organization
(UMNO) nominated Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as party
president and his deputy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as deputy
president.

Tawau in Sabah is the first of the 165 UMNO divisions
nationwide to hold its delegates' meeting before party elections
in May.

The president and deputy president of UMNO are automatically
premier and deputy premier.

The party's Supreme Council chaired by Mahathir in January
issued controversial "advice" to divisions that the premier and
his preferred successor Abdullah be nominated unopposed for the
top posts.