NEWLY appointed PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli has laid out three key strategies to prepare the party for the 15th general election.

He said the first thing was to hold the party’s national congress without any delay, followed by having a closer look at the alleged discrepancies in the party polls and for action to be taken against party saboteurs. 

“The national congress cannot be delayed any longer to appease the few who lost (at the party election) as the GE can be called anytime,” Rafizi said in a statement. 

“My goal as the deputy president is to prepare the leaders and the grassroots to face our opponents in GE15.

“One of my priorities as deputy president is also to scrutinise the entire digital audit process that has resulted in the ensuing confusion, to give due justice to all parties.” 

Action will also be taken against those who are trying to sabotage the new leadership to take its place by critiquing the election results, he said. 

Yesterday PKR central election committee director Zaliha Mustafa announced that Rafizi officially won the deputy president post after a forensic accounting of votes.

He won with an overwhelming majority of 16,668 votes over rival Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Disgruntled party members called for the forensic audit after allegations of foul play emerged.

One of those who demanded for a forensic audit was former Perak PKR chief Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, who lost to Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari for the Gombak division chief post.

Farhash claimed he and his team had strong evidence indicating discrepancies in the tallying of the results. 

Zaliha also confirmed that the forensic audit had found attempts by “irresponsible parties” to tamper with the results. 

Speaking on the demand for forensic accounting for the votes, Rafizi said it was merely an attempt at ensuring he will not become deputy president.

“From the very beginning, I have made a stand to Zaleha and Anwar Ibrahim (president-elect) that the demand for a digital audit is just a game of a handful of party members who lost in the recent elections. 

“Unfortunately, they are close to Anwar and feel they can influence the decision to ensure that I am not confirmed as deputy president.” – July 5, 2022.