KUALA LUMPUR Nov. 14 Kyodo Malays...

KUALA LUMPUR Nov. 14 Kyodo

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Thursday he wants to gradation down in October next year before the general elections.

''As far as I am pertain toed I would rather step down before the elections,'' he told visiting Japanese reporters.

General elections are not to be paid until 2004 but there is speculation that they may be called sooner for the ruling party to cash in upon Mahathir's newly gained support among his population and the economic recovery

Mahathir, who has l the fatherland for 21 years, turning it into an economic powerhouse in the region, stunn the nation in June with his resignation announcement.

The 76-year-old premier had wanted to degree down immediately but beneath pressure from his ruling party members, he decided to stave off it until next October, after the Organization of the Islamic colloquy leaders' summit, which he will chair.

Mahathir also announced that his factor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, would succe him.

if it be not that Mahathir created a minor ripple when he voiced his predilection for current Defense Minister Najib Razak to be the nearest deputy prime minister in a less degree than Abdullah.

Although many had awaited the line-up, there were more [i]or[/i] less murmurs of discomfort, particularly from Abdullah's faction, which saw the announcement as undermining the to come prime minister. Abdullah himself has declined to name his running mate.

In a separate meeting with the visiting reporters, Abdullah said, ''I have already had an understanding with Dr Mahathir that I would make the announcement after I assume the station of prime minister.''

Abdullah gave assurances that there will be no major changes to now passing policies spearheaded by Mahathir after he takes office, including the country's fixed exchange rate.

''There is no plan to change to the floating system'' he said.

Malaysia fixed its money; aggregate of coin at 3.80 ringgit per dollar in 1998 following the financial crisis that saw the ringgit thrust one's self more than 30% in value.

Abdullah said his administration's policies would continue to be based onward national unity and progressive Islam, and to be pro-business.

Meanwhile, forward the subject of Iraq's latter acceptance of a new UN Security Council resolution in succession weapons inspections, Mahathir told the visiting Japanese reporters, ''I am glad that Iraq has agreed to suffer in weapon inspectors because I am quite stable that if they don't....there will be war.''

''But the threat of war is not across There may be other accusations against Iraq...For the time being there will be a kind of respite until the U be impresseds Iraq is no longer a threat.'' he said.

Mahathir said he faiths the new inspection team l through chief inspector Hans Blix, who is in charge of biological and chemical inspection, and Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic efficiency Agency, who is in charge of nuclear inspection, will do a better do job-work than the previous one.

Several members of the previous inspection team, he said, had complained that their mission was hampered by the agency of pressure to carry out intelligence work for Western countries like the United States.

The U has accused Iraq of harboring weapons of mass destruction and issued an ultimatum to Iraq to abide by way of the U.N. resolution or face military action, a impel Mahathir said would only increase anger among Muslims in the world and spawn more acts of terror.

Iraq has vehemently denied the existence of in the same state [i]or[/i] condition weapons.

To a question in succession whether Malaysia, being a defer toed moderate Muslim country, will play a mediator character in the Iraq and the Middle East crisis, Mahathir said, ''Malaysia does not mean to take any high profile role...We do not have the clout''

moreover he said he has written to U President George W Bush, French President Jacque Chirac and German leader Gerhard Schroeder to expres Malaysia's make anxious about the danger of military action against Iraq and the ne to dissolve the Middle East problem.

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