The CAEAL president Tong Hio Fong (center)
The Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election (CAEAL) published the definitive version of the list of accepted candidate teams to the September 17 direct and indirect elections yesterday.
Following the publication of the list of accepted teams, CAEAL will conduct a draw today to determine the order in which candidate teams will appear on the ballot paper.
The definitive version of the list confirms that a total of 25 teams, with an aggregate of 192 candidates, will contest the direct election for the Legislative Assembly.
Six teams, with a total of 15 candidates, will contest the indirect election. Four of the five functional constituencies for the indirect election have only one ticket each running for election. Two teams will contest the seats in the professional sector constituency.
From yesterday, accepted candidate teams will not be permitted to conduct promotional activities until the official campaign period begins on September 2. The official campaign period runs until September 15.
The Commission issued its second election guideline, stressing that “any violation of the guideline may amount to a criminal offence.”
According to a statement issued yesterday by the CAEAL, the guideline “requires the removal or deletion of any message or information – displayed in any public area and online platform – that aims to draw public attention to a particular candidate or candidates; as well as any message or information aimed at encouraging voters – in an explicit or implicit way – to vote or not vote for a particular candidate or candidates.”
The guideline stipulates that trustees and candidates of each ticket, as well as trustees of nomination committees, must remove or delete any promotional material on or before midnight of August 2.
The Electoral Affairs Commission and the Commission Against Corruption held a meeting on Tuesday to explain the guideline to ticket trustees, candidates and trustees of nomination committees. A similar session will be held on Friday.
In addition, the CAEAL also held a meeting on Tuesday with representatives of local media outlets reporting in Chinese, English and Portuguese. According to the statement, “the session aimed to ensure a fair and objective news coverage of the election process.”
