KUALA LUMPUR: Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has hinted that the 15th General Election (GE15) will be called before the flood season begins.
Zahid also claimed that the opposition parties were using the flood as an excuse to delay GE15 because they were afraid that Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) will have an upper hand in the polls.
"The Opposition and foes of Umno-BN are aware that they are not ready to face the polls if Parliament is dissolved because unlike BN, they lack an effective machinery and mechanisms.
"They know that the caretaker prime minister (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob) who will run the (caretaker) government is from Umno—BN.
"So, the prime minister from BN will still be in power until a new government is formed.
"The caretaker prime minister still holds the power and control to execute flood mitigation measures and this will make it harder for the Opposition to take centrestage during the flood season.
"The Opposition believe that they can 'repair' and boost their popularity among the people if the polls are continuously delayed.
"Holding elections close to the flood season does not mean it would be held during the floods.
"By God's grace, the elections may be held even before that," he said in a Facebook post today.