KUALA LUMPUR: Padang Rengas member of parliament Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz has called for Umno elections to be held as soon as possible.
He said at the moment the need for party polls outweighs the need to hold the 15th general election (GE15), to prevent Umno from being dissolved.
"Hold the party election if you are brave... (you) want to face the GE bravely... (you need to be brave) to face the party election as well... what Umno needs to do now is hold the party polls and not the GE.
"I am worried that if it is not held before December, Umno will be dissolved because we have 18 months starting June last year to hold (party) elections," he told BH, here today.
In June last year, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan announced that the Barisan Nasional component party had postponed party polls at all levels of branches, divisions and the Supreme Council for 18 months.
Ahmad had reportedly written letters to the National Security Council director-general, the Health director=general and the Registrar of Societies on the matter.
In May, Umno amended its constitution to enable party elections to be held six months after general elections.
Commenting on the matter, Nazri, who is the Padang Rengas Umno division chief, said from his understanding the amendment was meant to be applicable in the future.
"My understanding as a lawyer, the amendments are used for the future, not now... what Umno needs to do now is hold party polls," he said.
He said this in response to former Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman calling for Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to step down as party president in an honourable manner, in the party's interest.
Nazri said Umno's past practice has been for any party leader facing a court case to resign from party positions.
He said on this basis Zahid also has to follow suit by taking the same action by stepping down as party president as other Umno leaders had done before.
"Zahid should step down... previous practice showed that whoever faced a court case such as Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo (former Selangor menteri besar); Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib (former Umno vice president) and (former Melaka chief minister) Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Chik (stepped down).
"Even before this, Umno had decided that anyone with a court case should resign to focus on the case so that personal cases do not become party cases.
"But (Zahid) not stepping down, that is the problem now," he said.
Nazri said he backed Tajuddin's move to reveal the situation in Umno now, to enable party members to make the best decision.
"It is freedom of speech... Tajuddin is no longer a member of the supreme council, so people should not be angry with him.
"He said the right thing... let the people and Umno members decide," he said.