Chaos During Party Polls Shows Up PKR’s Flaws

The Straits Times

27 October 2018

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is now the largest party in Parliament, but its first leadership polls since becoming part of Malaysia’s government is mired in controversy.

Calls for revotes are mounting over claims of rigging, bribery and unfair oversight. At some voting centres, violent scenes of fistfights and chairs being thrown – all caught on video – have led to injury.

For a party that often cried foul over abuses in general elections, the situation is potentially embarrassing for reformist icon Anwar Ibrahim, its president, who is expected to assume Malaysia’s premiership in about two years.

… The ongoing PKR election “throws a bad light on the future PM. An independent inquiry would restore credibility to the process”, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies‘ adjunct senior fellow Johan Saravanamuttu told The Straits Times.

“They have supported Bersih before, so why not allow them to conduct an audit of the system?” he added, referring to the widely respected election watchdog.

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