KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has indicated that the 14th general election (GE14) will be held next year, thus ending speculation that it would be called this year.
Dropping the hint when opening Gerakan’s 46th National Delegates Conference at Menara PGRM here today, Zahid urged the party to get its election machinery ready to face the impending GE14.
“We must make all efforts necessary. I believe the GE14 will only be called next year and if we work hard, we can empower our election machineries to deliver big wins throughout the country,” he said.
Zahid added that although no definite date has been given, the GE14 will be held in the next 180 days and everyone must be ready to face it.
“Whoever says that the election will be held after 180 days: they are out of touch with (the truth),” he said.
Prior to this, it was widely speculated that the GE14 would be held by the end of this year, while pundits also speculated it would take place in March or April next year, after the Chinese New Year.
GE14 must be held by Aug 2018.
In GE13, Barisan Nasional won 133 out of 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, while the opposition under the then-Pakatan Harapan alliance won 89 seats. -- BERNAMA