UMNO Youth vice-chief to be announced after Aidiladha

Umno Election Committee chairman Tan Sri Tajol Rosli Ghazali said Jamawi Jaafar and Khairul Azwan Harun each received 73 votes from 190 divisions.

"As such, the outcome for the movement's number two post will be decided based on the counting of popular votes," he told a press conference at Menara Dato' Onn, Putra World Trade Centre here Sunday night.

Under the electoral college voting system introduced for the first time in the party election system, any candidate who received the most votes from any one division would only be counted as getting one vote from the division.

Popular vote is based on the actual number of votes given by the delegates to every candidate.

Tajol Rosli said to be fair to Jamawi and Khairul Azwan, the election committee had decided to recount the votes they received from the 190 divisions.

"We will take back the ballots from all the 190 divisions, total them and then we will be able to know who will win the post of Umno Youth vice-chief."

Other than Jamawi and Khairul Azwan, the post was also contested by Mohamad Iruan Zulkefli and Lokman Noor Adam, with each getting 26 and 18 votes.

A total 191 Umno divisions concluded their elections yesterday except for Gelang Patah which was postponed due to internal problems.

Meanwhile, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said, both the candidates or their representatives would be summoned to Umno headquarters after Aidiladha to witness the recounting of popular votes.

"We have a (record) of the number of popular votes (now), but we must be fair to them and as such will call them to come and witness the recounting."

Umno executive secretary, Datuk Ab Rauf Yusoh said the date of the recounting had not been decided and would be announced later.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said the result of voting at Gelang Patah youth division should be used in deciding the vice-youth chief after two candidates received equal number of votes.

He pointed out the possibility of dispute involving the parties involved if the popular votes method was used to settle the stalemate.

"If we can count the votes at Gelang Patah division, there is no need for popular votes. If we use the popular vote method, it will lead to conflict.

"It is better if we can settle it through vote counting in Gelang Patah," he told a press conference with Umno vice-presidential candidate Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein after a Rangkaian Sahabat Muda programme here Sunday night.

A total 191 Umno youth divisions concluded their elections yesterday except for Gelang Patah which was postponed due to internal problems.

Earlier, Umno Election Committee chairman Tan Sri Tajol Rosli Ghazali when announcing the election results at Menara Datuk Onn tonight said Jamawi Jaafar and Khairul Azwan Harun, each received 73 votes, from 190 divisions.

As such, he said the result for number two post would be decided based on the counting of popular votes.

Popular vote is based on the actual number of votes which is given by the delegates to every candidate.

Khairy said: "I have discussed with Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan whether we want to implement the suggestion by Tan Sri Tajol, namely, to count the popular votes, or we settle the case of Gelang Patah division."

Meanwhile, Jamawi when met by reporters, said he was confident the result would favour him if the popular vote counting was implemented based on his record of acceptance at the divisions.

But, he stressed that he would accept with an open heart if the result went against him.