SUPP deputy president says he is willing to run for presidency in 2014 if nominated by delegates
By Lian Cheng & Peter Sibon
KUCHING: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) deputy president Datuk Richard Riot may consider contesting for presidency in its 2014 triennial delegates conference (TDC) if there is enough support from the delegates.
The six-term Serian MP in a recent interview with The Borneo Post said if the party delegates decided to give him a chance, he would accept it.
“If I prove my capability, I see no reason why I would not be accepted by the Chinese community which makes up about 82 per cent of the total membership of SUPP,” said Riot.
However, he stressed that he was not power crazy as he was even willing to give up his deputy president post now to Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, the estranged Sibu branch chairman whose faction’s disputes with the CWC (central working committee) has yet to be resolved, for the sake of party unity which is of paramount importance.
As SUPP’s sole winner in the May 5 general election, Riot said his immediate task was to reunite the party and get Soon Koh’s camp to come back into the fold so that the party could face the next state election as a united party.
“If the other camp still refuses to be in the committee, then it is very difficult. Actually, according to party constitution, anyone who misses CWC meeting three consecutive times would have been
automatically ousted.
“Yet until now, SUPP has not taken any action against the other camp. At every meeting, invitation has been extended to them as they are still considered part and parcel of the group,” said Riot.
The Serian MP disclosed that during the CWC meeting last Wednesday, party president Datuk Seri Peter Chin had actually resigned to take responsibility for the ill-performed result in the just concluded 13th General Election.
“Datuk Seri Peter Chin was saying: ‘Richard on my right here can take over from me as acting president.’ None of the CWC members objected to it. So silence meant consent.
“As a deputy president, I was the one who took the microphone from him (Chin) and said it was not the right time for him to abandon us. I told him to continue to lead us until the TDC,” said Riot.
When the CWC unanimously agreed to retain Chin, it was also agreed that the TDC would be brought forward to early 2014 especially after Chin’s strong indication of retiring as president of the party, said the only Bumiputera leader in the CWC.
“During that time (2014 TDC), if the delegates want Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh to lead, that is the time.
“That is why I would urge my fellow Bumiputera elected representatives to think seriously about it and come back to the party,” said Riot, who stressed that he was all for the
party and the party’s survival.
And during that time, if the
delegates nominated him, he said he would not refuse but to contest for presidency in good spirit.
“And if the delegates think that they would like to give me a chance, why not? If the delegates want me to be their leader, I would consider.
“Anyway, I don’t know yet. Let the delegates decide and confirm,” said Riot when asked if he would contest for presidency in the next SUPP’s TDC.
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/05/12/riot-ready-to-take-over-helm/#ixzz2T22DglwU
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