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Press Statement (2)

by Lim Guan Eng

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(Petaling Jaya, Wednesday): Opposition parties should not fall in Elections Commission Chair Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman’s cleverly-laid trap to boycott the next general elections and allow BN to win unopposed in all parliamentary and state constituencies in the next general elections. Rashid had disgraced his position as EC Chair and further sullied EC’s status as a body that is independent, fair and neutral conducting clean elections by challenging opposition parties to boycott polls.

BN is expected to lose some seats in the coming general elections after being struck by corruption, abuse of power, mismanagement, poor governance as well as financial and personal scandals involving BN top leaders. Rather than face voters who are angry at such betrayal of trust by BN leaders, Rashid appears to want to assist BN to secure victories by default without having to go to the trouble of campaigning in the elections.

Clearly such challenge by Rashid to boycott elections only prove claims by opposition parties that Rashid is behaving no differently as an agent of BN intent on conducting the dirtiest, dishonest and most unfair elections in Malaysian history. For this reason, opposition parties should not fall into the EC and Rashid’s trap by boycotting polls to allow BN to secure easy unopposed victories.

For its part, DAP shall not boycott the coming elections but participate fully to allow the people an opportunity to voice their aspirations. DAP shall continue to fight to demand free access to media, clean electoral rolls, transparent electoral process as well as oppose money politics, dirty and underhanded tactics of BN done with the connivance tacit assistance or inaction by EC. Should the results of the elections not reflect the will of the people due to the success of such dirty and underhanded tactics, then DAP will not recognize the election results but launch mass public protests. However let the elections proceed and the people decide freely and fairly.

Elections are an integral part of democracy that allows people to choose their elected representatives and leaders to head the country’s administration. DAP does not understand how the will of the people can be reflected by a boycott. Even if the electoral process is flawed, fraudulent and manipulated to record victories for the ruling party against the wishes of the people, let the whole world see proof of how dirty and dishonest BN is in maintaining its grip on power.

The EC of all countries in the world would be encouraging full participation by voters and candidates in the electoral process. However in the best “Malaysia Boleh” tradition Rashid is doing the exact opposite by asking for a boycott. This is no different from the police asking people to commit crimes. Rashid might as well resign or the EC be dissolved if it is more intent in getting political parties to boycott instead of participating in the elections. In that event there is no point having elections and elections might have well been abolished.