OPPOSITION PACT AGREES TO JOIN PARLIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 (Bernama) -- The opposition pact has finally agreed to join the Parliamentary Select Committee entrusted to improve the election process in the country.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said the three opposition representatives in the committee would be jointly named by PAS, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and DAP.

Prior to this, several opposition leaders were reported to have made various excuses concerning their participation in the committee, including questioning the composition of its members, which they described as unfair.

In fact, PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali was reported as saying that the opposition would not join the committee if Prime Minister Najib Razak did not fully fulfill their demands.

At a press conference here Wednesday, Anwar said the decision made by the opposition pact's leadership council to join the committee was aimed at ensuring that their representatives would be able to voice out their demands to have not only a clean election, but also a thorough electoral reforms.

He said, however, the opposition pact had yet to receive any official information about the formation of the committee which would be tabled at the next Parliament sitting scheduled to begin on Oct 3.

On Aug 15, Najib announced the formation of the committee in a bid to improve the election process and to strengthen the laws and regulations governing elections in the country.

The committee, which will be chaired by a Cabinet minister, will comprise five Barisan Nasional (National Front) members, three opposition members and one independent member.
-- BERNAMA