From:
Date: 24 Nov 1999
Time: 23:23:21
Opposition pledges a trouble-free elections
PETALING JAYA: The Barisan Alternatif said yesterday it would send an official letter to the palace seeking an audience with the King to pledge a trouble-free elections.
Media co-ordinator Raja Petra Kamaruddin said the letter would be signed by the leaders of the four parties in the alliance--Parti Keadilan Nasional, DAP, PAS and Parti Rakyat Malaysia.
"We call on Barisan Nasional to join us in this pledge of no violence to put the minds of the people at ease so that they will come out and vote in the Nov 29 polls.
"With this pledge, we believe the people would see that although Barisan and us may not agree politically, they at least can agree there should be no trouble.
"We hope it would be accepted in good faith," he said.
Raja Petra claimed that if the Barisan turned down the pledge, it could be assumed the coalition had no intention of making the polls a peaceful affair.
"We do not want people to vote for the Barisan out of fear because they do not want it to give them trouble. People should not feel intimidated when casting their votes," he added.
On a report in an English daily that the DAP and Keadilan leaders had refused comment on PAS leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat's comment that the party's goal was to implement hudud laws if it won, the Alternative Front said the issue had been "addressed and is considered closed."