EAC condemns disruptive acts at briefing session for 2019 District Council Ordinary Election candidates
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The Chairman of the EAC, Mr Justice Barnabas Fung Wah, planned to brief candidates of the 2019 District Council Ordinary Election on the electoral arrangements and important points to note when conducting electioneering activities at a briefing session tonight (October 24). The EAC strongly condemns the disruptive acts during the briefing session, resulting in the cancellation of briefing session.
The purpose of the session is to brief the candidates on important parts of the electoral guidelines to ensure that the election will be conducted in an open, fair and honest manner. However, some people disrupted the order during the session, shouted, threw objects at the speakers, and seriously disrupting the order of the event. The briefing had to be cancelled. The EAC expressed deep regret and strongly condemned the disruptive acts of those people.
While the EAC respects the freedom of expression, participants of the briefing are expected to observe the rules of the venue and not to cause nuisance to the participants and obstruct the conduct of the briefing.
"The District Council Ordinary Election to be held on November 24 is an important platform for over 4.13 million registered electors to exercise their right to elect their representatives. We do not accept any threats or violence in the election," said the spokesman for the EAC.
"Hong Kong has all along had a very good election culture. The District Council Ordinary Election, held every four years, involves a huge amount of financial and human resources from planning to the polling day. The preparatory work is interrelated. It is believed that the candidates and their supporters will commence and participate in electioneering activities. We call upon the community to make the best efforts to ensure that the election can proceed in a peaceful and safe manner, and electors can access polling stations to cast their votes in a peaceful and safe environment on the polling day. If anyone is not satisfied with the electoral arrangements, they can make complaints or make election petitions through judicial proceedings to resolve the disputes," he added.
Before the briefing session, the order of appearance of names of candidates on ballot papers and the allocation of designated spots for the display of election advertisements were determined by drawing of lots.
Information of the briefing will be uploaded to the election website (www.elections.gov.hk) for candidates' reference. Information on the nominees and the election will also be uploaded to the election website.
Candidates may call the election hotline 2891 1001 if they have any enquiry on the electoral arrangements.
Ends/Thursday, October 24, 2019
Issued at HKT 22:00
Issued at HKT 22:00
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