AL elections | CCAC finds associations promoting before campaign period

CCAC Commissioner André Cheong

The Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) has found several associations conducting publicity campaigns that promote specific candidates above others for the Legislative Assembly (AL) election, as reported in the Chinese press.

Publicity campaigns that do not give equal exposure to all candidates are banned during the pre-campaign blackout period, which began earlier this month and will last until early September.

CCAC Commissioner André Cheong said the bureau has begun an investigation into the cases, but did not disclose how many there were.

He said such cases had been more frequent during previous AL elections compared to this year.

Cheong said AL election-related associations are required to declare any social welfare activities they organize between September 2 and September 17. He expects the occurrence of election-related briberies during the actual campaign period.

From the beginning of April to August 18, CCAC conducted over 2,000 blitz inspections of associations’ welfare activities.

Around 1,500 inspections targeted catering events, and over 500 were directed at tourism-related activities. Most of the activities were unrelated to the election.

Some groups had previously been red-flagged for bribing voters, usually by transferring money through mobile applications.

Cheong said CCAC is working with more than one social media operator to spot potential instances of election bribery.

When asked why CCAC has not yet reported the results of online bribery, Cheong said the commission would not reveal anything unless there were special circumstances.

Thus far, the Electoral Commission has received a total of 67 bribery-related reports via its hotline and its online platform. CCAC received 34 reports.

At an event last Saturday, CCAC recruited more than 80 middle school staff as volunteers to assist its officers in anti-corruption efforts. JZ