KUALA LUMPUR: Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will leave it to the delegates attending the party general assembly to decide if the president and deputy president posts should be contested.
He said that he was aware that there had been opposing views on the issue.
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"As a person who has confidence in the democratic process (of election), I leave it to the delegates to determine this.
"I believe Umno members can evaluate which is diamond and which is glass," he said in his policy speech at the opening of the Umno AGM on Friday (Jan 13).
The contest for the top two Umno posts had been dominating discussion in the run-up to the AGM.ALSO READ:
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It was one of the main issues that were debated at the Wanita, Youth and Puteri meetings on Thursday (Jan 12).
Some delegates were of the opinion that the post of president and deputy president should not be contested to maintain harmony.
Others were for the contest to take place.
Former Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin was among individuals who were vocal about allowing for the two posts to be contested, describing efforts to prevent a contest as "madness".