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Malaysia’s next prime minister: Mahathir Mohamad plans to rule without Umno’s help. So does Anwar Ibrahim
- Time to step down has not arrived, says Mahathir as he paves the way for a return to the prime ministership he resigned from on Monday
- But his rival Anwar Ibrahim has also thrown his hat in the ring, and has the support of the former ruling coalition Pakatan Harapan
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Mahathir Mohamad had looked all set to reclaim his position as prime minister of Malaysia – until his on-off rival Anwar Ibrahim claimed the position for himself on Wednesday, announcing he had the backing of Mathathir’s former ruling coalition.
Under Malaysian convention, the prime minister is the individual who can command the majority of the 222-man lower parliamentary house. Until midday Wednesday, Mahathir had been the only man who looked likely to be able to do that. But in a dramatic intervention on Wednesday evening, Mahathir’s former coalition the Pakatan Harapan said that rather than backing Mahathir, as it had promised, it would now be asking the king to appoint Anwar as the next prime minister.
It said it had made the decision after Mahathir refused to attend the coalition’s presidential council meeting on Tuesday.
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“The coalition remains committed to the aspirations and mandates of the people to lead the country towards a better future from all economic, political and social angles. We will not betray this trust,” said the coalition in a statement.
Political analysts said the latest developments increased the likelihoood of a snap election being called to solve the political impasse. “These are unprecedented developments in Malaysian politics, and things are likely to become more confusing yet,” said Tom Pepinsky, a professor of government at Cornell University who studies Southeast Asian politics.
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