Snap election ploy to prevent crossovers, says Guan Eng
PENANG: Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng claims that talk of snap elections appears to be a plan hatched by certain parties to prevent crossovers which could result in a change of government.
“Right after press reports that if there were a sufficient number of crossovers to form a new government, the Election Commission chairman (Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman) talks about snap elections.
“Why does Rashid have to talk about snap elections being held? This is a pre-emptive strike. I believe this is to prevent people from jumping over, so they are using the threat of snap elections to prevent people from doing so,” he alleged.
Lim said his question to Rashid was: who told him (Rashid) that there should be a snap election.
“When you talk about snap elections, it is the government of the day which has the power to call for snap elections and not the Election Commission. How do you know there is going to be snap elections? Does this mean you (EC) are no longer independent?” Lim said.
He also said in the event of a snap election being called, the Penang state government did not have to follow suit to dissolve the state legislative assembly.
“We can decide to have it, or not to have it as it is up to the state government to decide. However, Parliament is not within our jurisdiction and if called, we have no choice but to be ready for it,” Lim said.
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