Pakatan considers no confidence vote - ref. malaysiakini

With the many Malaysiakini.com reports about Badawi's decision to resign, one particularly interesting report from the Malaysian Insider caught my eye:

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 - Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders met last night to discuss their options ahead of Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi's expected decision on when he will step down as prime minister.

DAP Parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang told The Malaysian Insider that the opposition coalition "had a meeting to discuss options on how to effect a no-confidence measure."




When pressed if this meant that something was lined up for when Parliament reconvenes on Oct 13, he replied: "Should be."

Also present at the meeting with opposition leader and de facto PKR chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was Pas secretary-general Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar, who also would not confirm that the next move in the coalition's takeover plans would occur in Dewan Rakyat.

"We did discuss our options to form the next government. The plan is still intact and ongoing but we expect Barisan Nasional to be prepared in Parliament," he said.

He revealed, however, that Abdullah's announcement as to whether he would be defending his post as Umno president - who by convention becomes BN chair and hence, prime minister - in March 2009 would be a factor in determining the final decision.

The opposition are understood to be keeping their cards close to their chest and will not make early announcements on their plans after their much-hyped Sept 16 takeover plans did not materialise.

After it had won an unprecedented 81 seats to BN's 140 in the March 8 general election, Anwar had declared that Pakatan Rakyat would topple the BN government on the symbolic date of Malaysia Day - which marks the formation of the country six years after gaining independence in 1957.

The former deputy prime minister still maintains that "we have the numbers" to gain the majority in Parliament.