Power-sharing most effective solution for SUPP, UPP – advisor

KUCHING: Power-sharing is the most effective solution to the attempts by United People’s Party (UPP) and Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) to reach an amicable agreement concerning seats allocation for the next general election.

In asserting this yesterday, UPP advisor Dr Chou Chii Ming said both parties might have to settle for sharing of power given that the general election is around the corner.

“The inevitable question is how UPP and SUPP are going to field their candidates in the seven constituencies in the forthcoming general election.

“In my opinion, to enhance political unity and strength to support Barisan Nasional (BN), at both state and federal levels, the most effective political solution is by sharing the political power and supporting each other on a ratio of UPP three to SUPP four,” he said.

Chou said his proposed ratio is based on the present ground support in which UPP has winnable candidates in three or four seats

He is confident that BN as well as UPP and SUPP would be able to recoup more lost parliamentary seats by supporting each other and sharing political power.

“It is assessed that UPP and SUPP would win back a good number of six seats which were lost in the 2013 general election,” he said.

Chou felt that a UPP-SUPP merger ‘is politically unrealistic at this juncture’.

He said the ground support that UPP has ‘is now wide, strong and growing with most of its members new and from the young generation group’.

“They have their undivided loyalty and political conviction to UPP,” he added.

The seven parliamentary seats are Bandar Kuching, Stampin, Serian, Sarikei, Lanang, Sibu and Miri.

The ruling coalition lost all except Serian to Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PRK).

DAP won Bandar Kuching for three consecutive parliamentary elections (2004, 2008 and 2013) while wresting Sibu in the 2010 by-election as well as Stampin, Sarikei and Lanang and retaining Sibu in the 2013 general election.

BN-SUPP lost Miri to PKR in the last general election.

Dato Sri Richard Riot defended Serian and was promoted as a full federal minister after the GE13. The seven-term Serian MP is Human Resources Minister.