KUALA LUMPUR, Wed. — and Datuk will continue to serve Umno and the Government, whoever wins the party deputy presidency on Friday, says Da- tuk Seri Dr . "Neither of them will leave the party or the Government," he said in an interview with "Suara Merdeka," the official organ of Umno. Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir, who had been elected unopposed an Umno president and will take over as Prime Minister when Datuk steps down, said be believed the contest for the deputy presidency would not adversely affect the party or government administrative machinery. Tengku Razaleigh, the Finance Minister, and Datuk Musa, the Education Minister, are involved in a door-die contest for tin; Umno deputy presi- dency. The election will be held on Friday, the first day of the three-day Umno gene- ral assembly. Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir stressed that contests for high positions in the party were not new, and pointed out that Tun Dr Ismail once challenged Tun Razak for the deputy presidency. "Tun Dr Ismail lost, but continued to serve the party. And when Tun Ra- zak became party presi- dent, Tun Ismail accepted DATUK HUSSEIN. . . last Supreme DR MAHATHIR. . . 'I'll accept whoever the post of deputy presi- Council meeting today. Is elected' dent willingly," he said. "This is the example we must show now." Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir said the contest for the de- puty presidency appeared to have many implications, and as it was also very heated, things had been done which should not have been done. "Sometimes, it appears as though we are fighting with, a candidate from a different party," he said. He hoped that when the contest was over, party members would close ranks and put Umno inte- rests and unity above everything else. "The loser must accept the leader who is chosen and accept the majority decision," he said. "If we do not uphold this principle, we do not have the right to adopt the principle of democracy." He was confident that the feeling of rivalry now present would subside, and subside more quickly if Umno leaders were united. "I hope llmnu members will not allow themselves to be overcome with emo- tion, like jumping for joy when their candidate wins or becoming grief stricken when their candidate loses." he said • TURN TO PAGE 4 Dr M to accept the decision of delegates

FROM PAGE ONE only face a contest for the highest post (president) "l hope there will be no when there is a vacancy. untoward incidents such as "We must work to avoid jeering or booing. Whoever a contest at the highest wins, it will be a victory level because if there is for Umno and not a perso- one, aa unhealthy situation nal victory." will arise. Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir "If there is a contest at said that personally, he the deputy level, a split would accept whoever was can ty: avoided because the chosen by the delegates to party leader is in place be deputy president. and'he would be the unit- "As someone who up- inn factor. holds the principles or "But if there is a con- democracy, I will accept test at the highest level, the delegates' decision," the party will be split into he said. two and this must be Asked why he did not avoided." pick his own deputy presi- Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir dent, he said: "The ap- said that in the selection of pointment of the Deputy the deputy president, Prime Minister is the demo- Umno members must go cratic right of the Prime by party tradition. Minister, "When a person wins "But if the Prime the post, there should be Minister can also decide no one who should challen- who should be the party's ge him, except in exceptio- deputy president, then the nal circumstances such as concept of the party con- the commission of a se- trolling the Government rious crime. will not have any mean- '"Hie real secret of ing." Unmo unity is that up to Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir now, party members have said tliere had been sug- upheld this tradition — gestions that there could that is, deciding the lea- be two deputies as both dership at the second level candidates vere equally and not the first level. qualified and popular. "This is the opinion of "My answer is that if an American political we are to have two depu- scientist, Carl Von Vorys ties just because there are in his book on Malaysian two people who are quali- politics. fied, then we will be forced "I believe this view is to have three deputies if at right because other count- some time in the future, ries which resolve the poli- there are three people tical leadership at the top equally qualified," he said. level usually face a split "For me, this is not the "I did not talk about solving of a problem. It is these things before be- only postponing the solu- cause I did not want people tion. By doing this, we to say that I don't want would only be transferring anyone to challenge me. the problem from one level "But now that I have to a higher level. been confirmed as the "If we avoid a contes party leader, I can say at the deputy level, we wil these things," he said.