By Tay Tian Yan, Sin Chew Daily

Umno is thrown in a dilemma whether to hold the party election before the general election.

And this is what will ignite the war fire between the pro-Zahid and anti-Zahid factions in the party.

Sure enough Ahmad Zahid, Najib and their gang want the general election first. So long Zahid is till the party president, he will get to control all the election resources, especially in the signing of "appointment letters" (Watikah Pelantikan).

No one can represent Umno and BN to contest a seat without the president's letter. Unless you quit Umno, you can't do anything without the president's nod.

How would Zahid ever want a party election to go first. If he loses the presidency, he loses all the powers.

Najib is on the same side as Zahid, and he also supports a GE to go before the party election on the excuse that a party election will lead to more division, forcing the losers to join other parties and fight Umno.

But those on the other side do not think the same way.

They feel that Umno now lacks a really capable leader, not to mention the party doesn't even have a PM candidate yet.

The party president still has court cases to deal with, his public image unimpressive. This shouldn't make him the "poster boy" that can lead Umno and BN in an election.

Imagine when Zahid's posters are hung all across the country during election campaign, will anyone seeing that vote for BN or another party?

Moreover, if Zahid is made BN's candidate for prime minister, this will give their opponents PH the most potent weapon to attack the coalition.

After last week's Umno general assembly, Zahid was asked who would the party's PM candidate be, and he just kept quiet.

Theoretically Umno can go into the election war without a PM candidate, but the thing is: how are they going to convince the voters if they don't even have a specific candidate for the PM post?

So, Khairy Jamaluddin has fired the first shot, asking for the party election to be held before talking about GE15.

He had good reasons for his statement. Umno needs to resolve the party's problems by way of a party election, as it needs a new commander to lead the election war.

Khairy is not a lone fighter. His call was echoed by youth and sports minister Reezal Merican, who claimed that the party election must be held this year, as the party had decided three years ago that there should be no delay in party election.

As for Annuar Musa labeled a "traitor" by the party president, he also concurred that the election must be held before June 20 this year.

Next, incumbent Umno ministers and deputy ministers may join in to exert pressure on Zahid. All eyes are now on Hishammuddin Hussein, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Noraini Ahmad and Adham Baba, waiting for them to state their stand.

Zahid wants Umno to sever ties with Bersatu, and has demanded that Umno ministers and deputy ministers quit the PN government. Actually, he is just trying to make use of these party comrades to accomplish his own motive.

These minister and deputy ministers are now hijacked by the party president and Umno assembly. If they refuse to quit, they could become "traitors". As a matter of fact, they do not actually find any reason for them to quit, especially with the pandemic still ravaging in the country. They argue that their ministerial positions have been appointed by the PM, not party president, and they are not willing to part with the powers, status and perks that come with that.

The question whether to cut ties with Bersatu has already opened a crack within Umno. And now the crack is widened further by argument whether a party election should predate the general election.

On the surface, Zahid as party president has all the powers to his advantage, and the supreme council is just taking instructions from him. To defer the party election should not be too much a problem.

But in reality, to defer party election will need the approval from the RoS which is under the jurisdiction of the home affairs ministry helmed by Bersatu's Hamzah Zainudin.

By now you might see what a coincidence it is in this whole power game.