The race has started but the jostling for seats is continuing with greater intensity.
The Pakatan Rakyat strategy of naming candidates in staggered fashion during nationwide roadshows has caused discontent among members, some of whom have threatened to defect.
Problems resulting from the scramble for seats can be seen in Johor, Terengganu. Penang, Perlis, Negri Sembilan and Sabah.
In Johor, the issue over the candidacy of PKR state chief Datuk Chua Jui Meng was finally settled after weeks of speculation following the announcement that DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang will stand in the Gelang Patah parliamentary constituency which he had been eyeing.
PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to make more announcements on the seats the party will contest in Johor later this week, with all eyes on the Bakri and Kulai parliamentary constituencies.
In Terengganu, the announcement of PKR state chief Azan Ismail last Wednesday that the party would contest 11 state and three parliamentary seats was contradicted by PAS commissioner Abdul Wahid Endut.
Abdul Wahid said the following day that PAS would contest seven of the eight parliamentary seats, leaving only one to PKR, much to Azan's displeasure.
Azan, the Indera Mahkota MP who is likely to move to Kemaman, indicated that he would push for more seats for PKR, in particular the Setiu or Kuala Nerus parliamentary constituency.
In Penang, PAS central committee member Datuk Dr Mujahid Rawa said that a PAS candidate would contest the Sungai Acheh state seat. This was refuted by Penang PKR vice-chairman Datuk Abdul Malik Abdul Kassim.
In Perlis, PKR and PAS have locked horns over the Kangar seat, traditionally contested by PKR.
State PKR chairman Mohd Faisol Abd Rahman said he was upset that Perlis PAS commissioner Hashim Jassin had recently announced Baharuddin Ahmad as its candidate for the seat.
Mohd Faisol also said PKR would not give way to DAP for the Chinese majority state seat of Indera Kayangan.
In Sabah, the Pakatan leadership is trying to hammer out a formula to share seats with its allies Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) and Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPS).
In what is seen as a shocking pre-emptive move, Tuaran PKR chief Ansari Abdullah on Thursday announced that he would be fielded in Tuaran as opposed to talk that Anwar would announce APS chief Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing as the candidate for the seat.
Ansari backed his demand, which includes six other seats for PKR, with a threat that he would vie as an independent if it was not met.
Since launching its manifesto on Feb 25, the Pakatan leadership council had repeatedly assured that parliamentary seat allocation had been finalised with only minor changes to be made.
The council indicated that PAS would contest in 76 seats, PKR 96 (to be shared with its allies APS and PPS) and DAP 50.
However, last Wednesday, the council failed to announce its final candidate list despite much anticipation.
Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia chief Badrul Hisham Shahrin, who is eyeing a PKR ticket, put it in context.
“Prior to March 2008, Pakatan was looking for sufficient number of candidates. It is different now as there are many waiting in line to fill a nomination form,” he said.
On Sunday, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar conceded that the delay in announcing the final candidate list had led to internal squabbles.
Political analyst Khoo Kay Peng said the difficulties were “teething problems faced by an opposition that has not fully matured”.
“They (Pakatan) have a semblance of working together but their discussions are for seat negotiations and not seat allocation,” he added.
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