By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Sept 12: Any overlapping seat among the four component parties in Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will be solved amicably by their top leaders, said GPS secretary-general Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi.
He said GPS top leaders have been having meetings from time to time to address any arising issues.
“(Overlapping seats)…is common in times like this because each party think that they have a better chance than the other component members.
“But at the end of the day, there would be compromise and there will be negotiation and amicable solution for it among the coalitions. I believe it won’t be a big problem,” Nanta told reporters at his ministry’s high tea with the media held at a hotel here today.
On a related issue, Nanta, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) secretary-general said as of now, GPS has not finalised its candidates for the upcoming State election.
“At the moment, everybody doesn’t really know whether they are going to be the calon (candidate) or not. Assuming that he is the calon of course he will be using GPS logo,” he said.
He was asked on the case on Mambong whereby the seat was traditionally allocated to Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP). But it’s incumbent Datuk Dr Jerip Susil first left SUPP, and joined SUPP splinter party, United People’s Party (UPP) which later changed its name to Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).
Dr Jerip later left PSB to join PBB, resulting in overlapping claim over Mambong seat.
Similar situations also arose in several other areas including Batu Danau, Bekenu and Pakan, where the incumbents left Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and joined PBB.
Nanta said chosen candidates of GPS component parties will be using GPS logo instead of their respective party logos in the upcoming State election which must be called by July 2021.
“Don’t forget we are going for the election as GPS, as one party. All the component parties will sit down and agree among themselves and we will use one common logo, that is GPS logo. Calon PBB contesting in PBB areas will use GPS logo,” he stressed.— DayakDaily
