TASEK PAUH blogspot

Labels: Malaysia, Pak Lah, Pilihanraya, SPR

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 (theStarOnline) - It was the Cabinet that did not approve the use of indelible ink during the March 8 election, Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman disclosed Saturday.

He said he was told to take responsibility for agreeing to it.

"The Cabinet gave two very strong reasons why they did not agree to it – security and the law - Article 119, concerning the basic right for everyone to vote, and I agreed with them," he said.

It’s not easy being EC chairperson. I took the rap over the years,” Abdul Rashid said, adding that the commission wanted a review of election regulations.

He said that the commission should have a bigger control over the electoral process under Article 113 to Article 120 of the Federal Constitution.

“This would give us power to control abuses. One important aspect that has to be looked into immediately is the registration of electors registration,” Abdul Rashid said after launching the National Seminar on Elections 2008; Democracy at Work.

He said another power lacking in the EC was the power to take court action.

“When people say the wrong things we should be able to sue. A lot of scandalous things have been thrown about, including from the media, the mainstream or alternative media.

“They must be made to pay for the things they say because most of the things they have been saying are not true” he said.

Labels: BN, Malaysia, Pilihanraya, SPR

Penipuan sunat?

EC Chairman Slams Defeated Electoral Candidates Who Blame EC

Labels: BN, Malaysia, Pilihanraya, SPR

Electoral reforms: Pressure to continue, says president

Abdul Hadi who welcomed the announcement and "agreed to it in principle" however noted that there were other demands made by the coalition of political parties, trade unions and non-governmental organisations calling themselves as BERSIH that has yet to be entertained by EC.

He noted that the other short term demands were for the electoral rolls to be revamped and for the use of postal votes to be abolished.

"We won't stop (to press for electoral reforms)," he said in a press conference at the sidelines of the 53rd PAS annual general assembly, here today.

He also noted that details on the use of the indelible ink such as the type of ink and how it is going to be used has yet to be made known.

Asked on a concern that the EC which has ruled out the suggestion earlier might crumble to political pressure from the ruling party from introducing the measure, Abdul Hadi declined to speculate.

"That's why I'm only responding to it in principle," he said.

Apart from the short term demands, BERSIH has also demanded for the first-past-the-post system currently in use to be replaced with the proportionate representation system.

The opposition won about 40 per cent votes in the last general election but secured less than 10 percent seats in parliament in a general election marred with irregularities. PAS has brought the case to court and the outcome has yet to be determined.

Asked on the next move to be made to ensure that the other demands would be met, Abdul Hadi said the action to be taken would depend on EC's next move.

He said a delegation would be sent to EC soon to discuss the matter.

"We'll see what the EC will do next," he said. Harakah

Labels: Malaysia, Pas, SPR

YSK announces broadcasting rules for election period

Ankara, May 10 - The Supreme Election Board (YSK) has announced the pre-election rules that will govern the use of public broadcasting and advertising for election campaigning and the use of official vehicles allocated to the prime minister, ministers and deputies for campaign purposes.

According to the guidelines billboards and advertising spaces belonging to individuals or municipalities will be leased to political parties on an equal time and quantity basis. The YSK also decided that trains, subways and buses serving the general public will be prohibited from bearing political advertising and that campaign propaganda will not be allowed on highway overpasses, in religious buildings and in buildings serving the general public.

The regulations governing the campaign season that will start on July 12 are almost identical to those of previous elections in that they forbid political parties from distributing anything other than flyers and brochures, employing minors in the distribution of such material, accepting donations from nongovernmental organizations, using the Turkish flag or religious symbols on printed material and employing any language other than Turkish on their political promotions.

The YSK also regulated the use of mobile phones and SMS messages in political campaigning by banning any use of mobile phones by political offices and stating that legal and criminal responsibility will fall on the mobile phone companies if this prohibition is violated.

The YSK regulations also ban partisan political speeches and declarations at any opening or groundbreaking ceremonies for services funded by public monies, along with a ban on any advertisements on their grounds. The prime minister, ministers and deputies who are allocated official vehicles will not be able to use such conveyances for election trips after July 12, the official start of the campaign season. During campaign trips reception and farewell ceremonies as part of official protocol will not be conducted, and no public official will take part in the campaign trips of the prime minister, ministers or deputies.

Voter records on public review

Electoral records put together for the first time with the Computer-based Elector Record System (SEÇSİS) will be available for public review from today onward. Electors who are not listed for any reason, have moved recently or have any mistake in their identity information will have an opportunity to apply to the district mukhtar and correct the records. The YSK has a form for the enrolment of new votes on its official website, www.ysk.gov.tr which must be completed for application to the mukhtar.

Radio and Television Supreme Board (RTÜK) Chairman Zahid Akman has announced the election period broadcasting guidelines. Akman said RTÜK had already noticed some radio and television stations continuing to broadcast illegal advertisements and that RTÜK will inform the YSK about these companies. Akman mentioned broadcasts concerning public surveys in particular, saying that according to the regulations, broadcasting companies are required to air the results of any public survey along with its backer, methodology of survey group selection, the number of those surveyed and the methodology of data gathering as well as the dates the survey was carried out.

Labels: Luar Negeri, Pilihanraya, SPR, Turkey

EC's sins long and ignominious: Lim

B.Suresh Ram, the Sun

KUALA LUMPUR (April 23, 2007) - Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang says Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman is defending the indefensible when he tries to dispel the general perception that the EC is unfair, not independent and non-transparent in discharging its duties.

"The EC's record is a history of unmitigated and abysmal failure to conduct free, fair, transparent and clean elections and the 'sins' of the EC are long and ignominious," he said.

Lim asked how the EC could claim to have conducted fair and transparent elections in the past and now with the following long outstanding issues:

* Opposition parties not allowed to send polling agents to supervise the casting of postal ballots by police and security forces;

* The huge presence of 'phantom' voters;

* Inability to include all eligible voters in the electoral roll as there are at present 4.9 million eligible but unregistered voters;

* Prohibit unfair, dishonest and one-sided media coverage, whether print, radio or television during election campaigns, such as "below-the-belt" and unethical cartoons, write-ups, broadcasts and telecasts and the "fear and scare" advertisements against the Opposition;

* Prohibit money politics, not only by candidates but also by political parties;

* Prohibit abuse of government resources and funds during election campaigns;

* Short election campaigning periods that disadvantges the Opposition; and

* Abuses by the 'caretaker' government in allocating funds and giving election promises with regard to development projects and misappropriating public funds for party election campaigning, such as travelling and other misuse of public resources.

Speaking to reporters in Parliament lobby today, Lim asked whether the EC was prepared to establish its independence, professionalism and commitment to its constitutional mandate to conduct free, fair and clean elections by speaking out against all the issues. sun2surf

Labels: Pilihanraya, Rasuah, SPR