PETALING JAYA, JUNE 6- MIC has three options to come out of its current constitutional crisis and a former party secretary general suggests that the best option available is to hold internal polls as soon as possible.
“There are three options left for the party. One is to take it to the courts. Let the court decide if G Palanivel is constitutionally the party president. But there is a pitfall here. The court might even decide that the current office bearers have breached the party constitution,” said DP Vijandran.
“If the legal option is taken, the party would risk its future as there is a possibility of it being deregistered through a court order.
“Secondly, members can also take up the matter to the Registrar of Societies. It’s the same with the courts. There is a risk of deregistration.
“The third option is to end all these speculation and stop it from being a legal issue by having party elections as soon as possible,” he added.
The party is currently split into two over the dates of the party polls. Palanivel is bent on having the party elections starting with branch elections in December this year.
Palanivel, who is also Natural Resources and Environment Minister, obtained the approval of the party’s central working committee (CWC) to start the branch elections at the end of the year.
Some quarters in the party are questioning the date. They claim that if branch elections are held in December, elections for top national office bearers, including the president, would only be held next year.
This would mean the current term of present office bearers would run to four years, when the constitution only allows for a three-year term, after which elections must be called.
The party held its last election in 2009. In the polls, then party chief S Samy Vellu won the position uncontested. He stepped down in 2010 paving the way for Palanivel to become acting president.
It must be noted that Palanivel has yet to win the presidency through an election and is still the acting president.
MIC practices a unique system where the president is picked not by divisional delegates but the 3,800 branch leaders. The party conducts its presidential elections three months before polling to pick a deputy president, three vice presidents and 23 CWC members.
MIC postponed its internal election, which should have been held starting February last year, pending the 13th general election.
Win-win situation for all
Vijandran (photo) said holding the party elections soon would result in a win-win situation for all.
“I am quite confident that the party president and central working committee members would continue holding their positions after the polls,” he said.
Vijandran said he was making his views public because he had the party interest at heart and nothing else.
Apart from the elections, he said MIC must also work on improving public perception.
“MIC has a trust deficit with the Indian community. If it wants to close the deficit, it needs to free itself of this legal squabble and earn the public’s trust,” he added.
He advised Palanivel to stop taking disciplinary action against party leaders who are asking for internal polls to be held soon.
“Palanivel should free MIC from legal squabbles and not take disciplinary action against its members unless it is absolutely necessary.
“You can take action against those who worked against MIC in the general election but do not sack those who criticise. Invite healthy criticism. Answer them instead of finishing off the critic,” he added.
Last Wednesday, MIC disciplinary committee chairman KS Nijhar announced that the party had sacked T Alagu who had contested against Palanivel in Cameron Highlands in the just concluded general election.
The party also issued show cause letters to six other leaders for working against the interest of the party.
Nijhar also said that his committee would take action against members and leaders who criticise the party leadership through the media on the delayed party polls.
