By Karen Bong and Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Oct 23: The Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUNS), comprising 82 seats, will be officially dissolved on Oct 26, paving the way for the 13th Sarawak State Election.
The announcement was made by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg during a special press conference at Satria Pertiwi Complex today.
Accordingly, the official notice of dissolution will be submitted to the Election Commission (EC) soon, after which the electoral body will determine the key dates for the upcoming State election.
These include nomination day, the campaign period, early voting and polling day.
The announcement marks the start of the process leading to the next State election, which will determine the composition of the 13th Sarawak Legislative Assembly and the formation of the next State government.
The current Assembly’s term is due to expire in December 2026.
In the 12th Sarawak election held on Dec 18, 2021, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) won 76 of the 82 seats, securing a mandate to form the State government.
The coalition’s four component parties recorded the following results: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) won 47 seats, Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) secured 13, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) won 11, and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) took five.
Outside GPS, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) won four seats, while the Democratic Action Party (DAP) secured two.
Subsequent political developments altered the composition of the Assembly. Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How left PSB to become an independent, while three other former PSB assemblymen, namely Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh of Bawang Assan, Baru Bian of Ba’Kelalan and Johnichal Rayong Ngipa of Engkilili, joined PDP.
The move increased PDP’s representation from five to eight seats and brought GPS’ total to 79 at that stage.
With the Assembly now dissolved, attention turns to the EC’s announcement of the election timetable, which will determine when candidates can be nominated, how long campaigning will run and when Sarawakians will cast their votes. — DayakDaily
