The Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election, Mr Tong Hio Fong, speaks to reporters.
Election teams are required to remove – before Saturday (16 September) – all campaigning material, including that posted online via the Internet, said today the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election.
The instruction concerns material posted during the official campaign period – running from 2 to 15 September – by any election team member, including candidates and trustees of nomination committees. The rule does not apply to anyone else that might have posted election-related information online via the Internet, said the Chairman of the Commission, Mr Tong Hio Fong.
All persons are prohibited from campaigning activities – irrespective of whether they are election team members or not – during the compulsory cooling-off period encompassing Saturday (16 September) and election day itself, Sunday (17 September).
Mr Tong told reporters after today’s Commission meeting that the body had received during the campaign period to date some 50 complaints. As a result of information received, the police had opened 14 criminal cases.
Mr Tong also commented on a court ruling against the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau for refusing an election team permission to hold a particular gathering. He said the court’s decision was based on a technicality, since the Bureau did not explain the reasoning for the refusal.
Mr Tong said the principle for the Bureau’s decision was correct since it was based on the fact that the meeting place sought by the election team in question was one of those previously designated by the Commission for campaigning activities. The Commission had conducted in August a draw to determine the order in which teams would be allowed to use these designated public venues to conduct their respective promotional activities.
In addition, the Commission Chairman stressed election teams were allowed to display promotional material only at venues designated by the Commission: any election team in breach of this condition might run the risk of violating the Legislative Assembly Election Law.