KUALA LUMPUR (July 15): Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has offered himself as a candidate for the post of PKR president at the next party elections, due later this year.

The PKR de facto leader said he made the decision after discussions with PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and other leaders as well as after taking into account the views of party members and in the interest of the party’s continuity.

Anwar made the announcement in posts uploaded onto his Facebook and Twitter accounts on Sunday, saying that should he secure the mandate of the party’s grassroots nationwide, he would lead the party as the president after the PKR National Congress in November 2018.

He drew attention to what he said were opinions on the need for him to lead the party as the president, taking over from his wife, the current president.

Anwar said that since the PKR elections of 2007, he had been asked to lead PKR as the president but the restrictions imposed by the Registrar of Societies then could have led to the dissolution of the party.

Therefore, he said, he opted to withdraw while Dr Wan Azizah remained as the PKR president.

Dr Wan Azizah led the party since 1999 and went through all kinds of tests, challenges and tribulations, he said.

However, he said, the confidence of the PKR president, leadership and grassroots as well as the people’s determination saw Pakatan Harapan step into Putrajaya after the general election on May 9.