DEPUTY Prime Minister Ahmad Zaidi Hamidi has announced that the general election will take place within the next 180 days.

“The elections will take place no later than 180 days from now.

“Those who say that the elections will take place later than that are out of touch with reality,” he said at the opening of the 46th Gerakan National Delegates Conference in Cheras today.

BN’s mandate, won during GE13 in 2013, will end by August next year.

The time period given by Zahid is in line with analyses which indicate that GE14 will likely be called between February and May next year.

Zahid also said BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor “knows more” about the matter, but noted that the decision lies with Prime Minister and BN chairman Najib Razak.

“Tengku Adnan knows more about when the elections will be called, but he doesn’t call the shots. Even I don’t make the decisions. The only one who can do that is our chairman Najib.

“He (Najib) will announce when everything is ready,” he said.

Zahid also said he knows all who are now lobbying to be candidates in the coming elections.

He said this was because the candidates list was traditionally reviewed by the BN deputy chairman, who is also the strategic director.

“I know who works hard and who’s lazy. I know who only goes on the ground when a minister is coming and goes home to sleep right after. I know who are trying to lobby themselves as candidates.

“I know who used to work hard but not anymore, and I know who used to be lazy but now works hard,” he told the 2,000 Gerakan delegates present, who responded with applause. – November 12, 2017.