EC appoints returning officers, polls imminent

The Election Commission (EC) has started to appoint returning officers for all constituencies, a sign that the next general election could be called in the next three to five months, with November seen as having the highest possibility.

According to a report in the Chinese-language Kwong Wah Daily today, the appointment letters for all returning officers were issued over the past two weeks.

By convention, a general election is called three to five months after the issuance of the letters.

"Talk that the general election is around the corner is widespread. All the indicators show that all quarters are preparing for it," reads the report.

The EC has also identified venues for nomination centres, while the Education Department is selecting schools to be used as polling stations.

"The relevant schools have been instructed not to lease out their halls in November," states the report.

It also claimed that the police are preparing for the polls to be held in November.

However, it added that both BN and Pakatan Rakyat are yet to finalise seat allocations, making this the only element lacking in preparations for snap polls.

Speculation abounds

Yesterday Chinese newspaper Sin Chew Daily reported that all divisions of BN component parties in the 222 parliamentary constituencies have been told to submit lists of preliminary candidates to BN chairperson and premier Najib Abdul Razak and the ruling coalition's top leadership as soon as possible.

Quoting sources, the report said the instruction was issued by the BN leadership before the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally.

Judging from the current political scenario, it added that the 13th general election will probably fall in November, or in March or April next year, with higher possibility of the latter.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has also speculated that the electoral battle will be held this year.

"However, when Najib cut short his overseas trip... the possibility of polls being held in October or November has again returned to the fore," he said in a statement issued yesterday.

He was of the view that the next general election will be the most important one in the nation's history, as voters will decide whether there should be a change in federal rule.

"All Malaysians must grasp the possibility for the first time in nation's history for change of government in Putrajaya," the MP for Ipoh Timor added.