ALOR STAR: Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders have three days to reach an agreement on state seats negotiation for Kedah as the opposition pact’s chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expected to announce the full list this Friday.
It is learnt that PH leaders in Kedah will have to finalise the talks before Dr Mahathir unveils candidates who will contest for the 36 state seats in Kedah, in their mission to wrest the state from Barisan Nasional (BN).
A source from Kedah PH said Dr Mahathir is expected to introduce the candidates for state seats during a programme in Bukit Tangga, Bukit Kayu Hitam on Friday evening.
"Dr Mahathir is scheduled to announce the candidates for all four Pakatan Harapan components during the programme.
"All the candidates for the state seats in Kedah are expected to be there," he said.
The source added that the candidates for Parliamentary seats in Kedah and nationwide would be announced later in Kuala Lumpur.
NSTP had yesterday reported that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Parti Amanah Negara (PAN) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) leaders in Kedah were still finalising negotiations over which party to contest in the 34 state seats allocated among the three parties.
The remaining two seats had been allocated to DAP, which is defending the Derga and Kota Darulaman state seats.
Kedah PH deputy chairman Dr Azman Ismail was reported as not discounting the possibility of seat swapping among PKR, PAN and PPBM before PH’s list of candidates is announced.
During the 13th general election, PKR contested 10 state seats (Kuah, Bukit Kayu Hitam, Pedu, Gurun, Bukit Selambau, Lunas, Sidam, Kulim, Bakar Arang and Suka Menanti), while DAP contested two (Derga and Kota Darulaman).
Both PPBM, an Umno splinter party and PAN, a Pas splinter party, are contesting the general election for the first time.
As for the Parliamentary seats in Kedah, it was reported that PPBM and PKR would each contest six parliamentary seats, while PAN would contest three. DAP is not contesting any of the 15 parliamentary seats.