No more passes for party supporters, says EC

April 13, 2012, Friday

SIBU: The Election Commission (EC) will no longer issue passes to party supporters to accompany candidates to nomination centres on nomination day.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said this is to discourage the practice of having hundreds of supporters accompanying the nominees.

“In the past we used to issue 100 passes for supporters of each political party, provide tents and refreshments for them. We’ve decided not to give them passes this time,” he told
reporters yesterday at the 13th general election briefing for returning officers (ROs) and assistant returning officers (AROs).

A total of 79 ROs and AROs from 15 parliamentary constituencies in the central region attended the two-day briefing.

Abdul Aziz said there was no positive correlation between the number of supporters at the nomination centres and the winning chances of the candidates.

“Political parties say that is the time to show their strength. But from our observation, it is not necessary.

“We want to avoid clashes among the supporters of the political divide, and to ensure a peaceful situation,” he explained.

In January, Abdul Aziz said the EC wanted to stop the “party atmosphere” created by hundreds of supporters showing up on nomination day.

He was reported then as saying that only 10 supporters and representatives would be allowed on nomination day at each nomination centre.