Umno was getting weaker despite the no-contest tradition for top posts: Johari

PETALING JAYA: Umno did not become stronger when it held to its "no-contest" tradition on several of its important posts during party elections, Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said.
Johari who is supporting the suggestion for the no-contest 'rule' to be removed in the party polls, said it was high time now for Umno to allow all of its members to choose their leaders democratically.
He added party members should not be worried that opening contest for the position of president and deputy president would lead to fraction within the party.
"Even before this, when these positions were uncontested, the party was still getting weaker. We cannot use it as a reason. We need to hold to the principle of democracy," he said.
"Just look at the opponent parties. They do not have such a tradition of disallowing contest on important posts in their parties. They have no such thing," he told theSun.
Johari said he was confident that Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein would still be able to win the president and deputy president party posts even if they were challenged in an open contest.
However, the duo's victory would be even more meaningful if it was done through an open competition with other party members, Johari added.
Meanwhile, Umno supreme council member Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the top posts in the party should only go uncontested if it was still in federal power, as the positions are traditionally tied to the posts of Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
Nur Jazlan, who was a former deputy minister, said now that the party was no longer in the federal government, this rule should be null and void.
"The no contest rule only applies if Umno is in the federal government. So there is no need (for such rule) anymore.
"Because whoever the president and deputy president are, it will have no affect on the government's administration. So I feel it is best that the posts be open to all who are interested," he said when contacted.
Nur Jazlan added that, looking at the political scenario yesterday, he felt not many Umno leaders would want to hold the top positions in the party, and that the current top two — Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein — should be allowed to helm the party together, if they go uncontested.
The issue of no-contest on important party posts was raised by Umno Bukit Katil chief Tan Sri Ali Rustam, who proposed for the position of party president, deputy president and one of its vice-president to go uncontested in the upcoming polls.
Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin however called for Umno to put a stop to the no-contest tradition, stating that the tradition was among reasons why the party lost in the 14th general election.
The position of Umno president was left vacant after Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, who was also the former prime minister, decided to relinquish the post following the party's worst performance in the national polls — which saw Barisan Nasional losing federal power for the first time since independence.