EC’s poster ruling meant to stop Mahathir pics, says Guan Eng
Predeep Nambiar | April 25, 2018
FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
The DAP secretary-general says this in response to a new guideline issued by the Election Commission.
Lim Guan Eng accuses the EC of trying to sabotage the opposition’s chances at the polls.
GEORGE TOWN: DAP has accused the Election Commission (EC) of trying to sabotage the opposition’s election campaign, following a new guideline which specifies party leaders who are allowed to appear on campaign materials.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the ruling was clearly intended to prevent pictures of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who chairs the four-party Pakatan Harapan, from appearing on election posters.
“It is clearly sabotage, with double standards at play,” he told FMT when contacted.
“The only way to overcome this is to turn up in numbers to vote so that this injustice does not go on. Although the odds are stacked against us, I think we can still beat them to win nationally.”
The EC in a guideline issued yesterday said it would allow posters to feature party presidents and/or deputy presidents or the equivalent, as well as a select group of senior party leaders in larger banners.
When contacted, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the EC appeared to have strayed from its objectives by issuing rulings on unimportant requirements like who can appear on campaign posters.
He said the commission should instead focus on election-related duties such as voter registration and the redrawing of electoral boundaries.
“The election is a democratic event. The people are free to vote and to be voted for. So they must be given the freedom to choose who they want to put on posters,” he said.
“The peoples’ choice must remain the peoples’ choice. That is not for the EC to decide.
The DAP secretary-general says this in response to a new guideline issued by the Election Commission.
Lim Guan Eng accuses the EC of trying to sabotage the opposition’s chances at the polls.
GEORGE TOWN: DAP has accused the Election Commission (EC) of trying to sabotage the opposition’s election campaign, following a new guideline which specifies party leaders who are allowed to appear on campaign materials.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the ruling was clearly intended to prevent pictures of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who chairs the four-party Pakatan Harapan, from appearing on election posters.
“It is clearly sabotage, with double standards at play,” he told FMT when contacted.
“The only way to overcome this is to turn up in numbers to vote so that this injustice does not go on. Although the odds are stacked against us, I think we can still beat them to win nationally.”
The EC in a guideline issued yesterday said it would allow posters to feature party presidents and/or deputy presidents or the equivalent, as well as a select group of senior party leaders in larger banners.
When contacted, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the EC appeared to have strayed from its objectives by issuing rulings on unimportant requirements like who can appear on campaign posters.
He said the commission should instead focus on election-related duties such as voter registration and the redrawing of electoral boundaries.
“The election is a democratic event. The people are free to vote and to be voted for. So they must be given the freedom to choose who they want to put on posters,” he said.
“The peoples’ choice must remain the peoples’ choice. That is not for the EC to decide.
