Umno top guns likely to discuss transition plan

Source TheStar

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno will convene a special supreme council meeting today.

While most council members remained tightlipped or claimed ignorance of the reason for the meeting, it is expected that discussions would centre on the issue of the transition of power between party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The meeting comes after reports of four-eyed meetings between the two top leaders over the past few days.

The meeting will start at 10am at the Putra World Trade Centre.

Najib confirmed yesterday that the meeting would be held but refused to elaborate.

During a press conference for the People’s Friendly Housing Scheme, Najib told the eager pressmen that “all political questions” would be answered after today’s meeting.

Asked if he had met Abdullah to discuss the power transition plan, Najib replied:

“l always meet and brief the Prime Minister. Sometimes, it is on a daily basis and sometimes more than once a day.”

Supreme council member Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said:

“The meeting was called all of a sudden, it must be about something important. One can’t help but speculate that it has something to do with the succession plan.”

Nazri believed the meeting was called to prevent any “untoward outcome” which might disturb the succession plan.

“I suspect there will be discussions on it and a compromise will be reached,” he added.

Nazri said there were two views with regards to the succession plan.

He said people on the ground were already talking about the possibility of party elections, due to be held in mid-December, being postponed to the middle of next year.

“So I expect a compromise,” he said.

Vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said there could be a possibility that the annual assembly would be postponed to June next year.

Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib also confirmed the meeting.

He however said he was not certain what would be on the agenda.

At the Umno supreme council meeting previous Thursday, the issue of Abdullah stepping down sooner was brought up, although during the press conference later, he said both he and Najib remained committed to the transition plan.