PKR WILL not be holding a separate congress, its party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said today, dismissing allegations of a parallel congress to be held on the same day as the official national congress.

Saifuddin said that, as the party secretary-general, he had issued only one notice for this year’s congress, scheduled from Thursday to Sunday in Melaka.

Any other so-called congress, he said, will only be a normal meeting.

“There are prerequisites for an official annual congress, such as the process of beginning with annual general meetings at the divisions where delegates are selected and there is a designated number of delegates attending, with a minimum making up the quorum.

“The congress must be chaired by an appointed permanent chairman and the annual and financial statements will be issued by me. These can happen only at an official annual congress,” he told Bernama when met at the launch of a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur today.

Saifuddin was responding to allegations of a group of supporters of PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali planning to hold a separate congress parallel to the official national congress in the capital.

Saifuddin said the annual and financial statements have been prepared and 2,615 eligible delegates have confirmed their attendance at this year’s congress.

He also said he has yet to receive confirmation the deputy president’s attendance.

“The congress is the most important event in the annual calendar of a political party and it is subject to conditions of the Registrar of Societies which, if not adhered to, can have a detrimental effect on the party,” he said.

Meanwhile, PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil said there is not going to be any vote of no confidence against PKR president Anwar Ibrahim at the annual congress.

All motions from the divisions and wings have been sent to the committee and there is no such vote, he added. – Bernama, December 3, 2019.