Leaders of Malaysia's ruling party on Thursday scrapped a controversial proposal which would have entrenched Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and his preferred successor in power.
The Supreme Council of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) reversed its stance after strong opposition from within the party, including from the influential Youth Wing.
Critics said the original proposed change to the party constitution, which would have scrapped elections for top party posts in 2003, would kill off democracy within UMNO.
UMNO, as the dominant party in a coalition, has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957. Its party president and deputy president automatically become premier and deputy premier of the country.
On October 30 the supreme council, chaired by Mahathir, had agreed that elections for the council and for top party posts would be held just once during a parliamentary term.
This would have made Mahathir and his preferred successor, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, immune from challenge till after the next election -- which must be held by November 2004.
Mahathir has said this will be his last parliamentary term. The change would have given him maximum flexibility in deciding when to step down and would have protected Abdullah.
The change was due to be presented for approval to a special UMNO meeting this Saturday.
But after another Supreme Council meeting Thursday, which lasted less than two hours, Abdullah told reporters: "There will be no amendments because we will revert back to the original position which is to hold ... the UMNO general assembly and its elections once every three years."
Abdullah said the Supreme Council reversed its earlier stand after division chiefs described the delay in party polls as too long.
"The practice of democracy in UMNO is still healthy. UMNO is an open party and we adopt a listening ear," he said.
Abdullah said Mahathir, who is attending the APEC summit in Brunei, had given his approval to revert to the original position.
Mahathir, 75 next month, has been in power since 1981.
In May, UMNO's general assembly re-elected Mahathir as party president and chose Abdullah as deputy president after accepting controversial advice from the Supreme Council that there should be no contest for the two top posts in the interests of unity.
Despite his status as heir apparent, the 60-year-old Abdullah is seen as lacking a strong powerbase in the party.
UMNO lost 22 seats in the November 1999 general election amid dissatisfaction among ethnic Malays over the sacking and jailing of ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim -- KUALA LUMPUR (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
