THE heated contest for the Pas deputy presidency on Saturday goes beyond personalities.
It is widely known that two-term incumbent Nasharuddin Mat Isa is a major player in the unity talks with Umno, while his strongest challenger, Datuk Husam Musa, is all for Pakatan Rakyat.
In fact, Husam was reported as saying that his main priority, if he wins, is to end any form of co-operation with Umno.
Nasharuddin is known to be the preferred choice of Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, who has been returned unopposed, while Husam is the protege of party spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
Both senior leaders have refrained from naming their preferred candidate.
The presence of another contender, Mohamad Sabu, known for being vocal, is unlikely to have much impact. Many are expecting Mohamad to withdraw at the last minute and throw in his support for Husam.
Nasharuddin is said to have the upper hand as word has it that he had secured more than half the nominations during the divisional meetings.
"Pas members know that Hadi prefers Nasharuddin. The party president is highly respected and it is likely that members will not want a result which is seen as being in conflict with Hadi.
"Furthermore, Nasharuddin has lived up to expectations since winning the post in 2005. He is seen as a soft person and this is the kind of leader we want," said a source.
Another advantage enjoyed by Nasharuddin is that he is favoured by the powerful Dewan Ulama which wants a religious figure to occupy the seat and not Husam, who belongs to the professional group.
The views of the Dewan Ulama are likely to influence the delegates' voting trend as the group has always been held in high esteem.
Husam is seen as rather aggressive and this is not something that Pas members are comfortable with. Even in his home state, Kelantan, Husam does not have the full support of party members.
Although on the surface the party election looks rather quiet, the inside story is different altogether. Campaigning has been going on and it has gained momentum over the past few weeks.
"Our style of campaigning is different. We have our own dramas as well but it is just not actively covered, unlike during the Umno election. That is why people think that there is not much movement on the ground."
Indeed, this is true as candidates going for top posts are always careful not to be seen as campaigning aggressively.
Party elections director Datuk Mustafa Ali said the candidates were free to travel all over the country and meet delegates. "We are not stopping them. But such a practice is not rampant in Pas as members prefer candidates who lie low. Looking at past results, delegates tend to shun candidates who are seen as over-enthusiastic in campaigning."
The deputy presidential contest aside, the much anticipated sparks for the three vice-president's slots fizzled out after the withdrawal of two most talked about party leaders -- Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak and Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.
Nizar was said to be a favourite for the post but his withdrawal has raised eyebrows.
"Azizan's explanation that he wants to concentrate on his post as Kedah menteri besar is justified. But what is Nizar's motive as he had received quite a number of nominations and was seen as a frontrunner?
"Perhaps, Nizar was afraid that he would not get the votes from the ulama group and the more conservative delegates as some of them are not too pleased with his extremely close relationship with DAP leaders in Perak," said a source,
Of the five candidates, the favourites are party information head Datuk Mahfuz Omar, outgoing Youth head Salahuddin Ayub and central working committee member Mujahid Yusof Rawa, who is the son of former Pas president Yusof Rawa.
Also in the race are central working committee members Datuk Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah and Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
When the results are announced, Pas members are likely to get a clear picture on the future direction of Pas, based on the results of the deputy president race. NST
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