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Malaysia opposition says in hand-over talks with government
Agence France Presse - September 23, 2008
Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia's opposition said Tuesday it has begun talks over a transition of power from the ruling coalition, after it claimed to have signed up enough defectors to topple the government.
However, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi – who has refused to meet with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim – denied that contacts were being made through intermediaries. "There are no such meetings whatsoever with Anwar's people," he told reporters.
Tian Chia, information chief of Anwar's Keadilan party, claimed that there have been several meetings since the weekend between "our middleperson and Abdullah's middleperson."
"Our intention in holding them is for a transition of power to the opposition, but I cannot speak for the other side," he said. "So far it looks good, and we will wait to see what happens."
Anwar said earlier this month that he had the support of more than 31 lawmakers from the ruling coalition, but refused to release the list of their names until Abdullah agreed to a meeting.
The premier has dismissed his claims as bluffing, and has shown no sign of stepping down even as he faces another challenge from cabinet ministers who have called on him to quit before his scheduled departure in 2010.
Abdullah has been fighting for his political life since a March general election handed the opposition unprecedented gains and plunged the coalition into disarray.
Ruling party insiders say he is now under intense pressure to quit by the end of the year.
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