The president of Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly election (CAEAL) Tong Hio Fong, said yesterday that media companies should establish internal rules for coverage of the next elections. During a meeting with journalists yesterday, Tong said that CAEAL is advising journalists to avoid interviews and features on candidates in the time frame between publication of the public notice containing the list of candidates and the beginning of the electoral campaign.
The advice generated confusion among many journalists who attended the meeting. Many questioned if merely interviewing a candidate could be seen as electoral propaganda. Tong said that CAEAL would not issue specific instructions and would analyze any infractions on a case-by-case basis. Later, the Government Information Bureau (GCS) issued a statement which referred to the Electoral Law: “Electoral propaganda is an activity organized to convey a message that directs the public’s attention to one or more candidates and suggests, explicitly or implicitly, that electors should vote or not vote for that candidate or candidates.”
No Comments