Chong-Aruldoss ‘highly unsatisfied’ with ELD’s response on PM’s photos

SINGAPORE — Singapore People’s Party candidate Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss hit out at the Elections Department’s (ELD) response on the display of posters of People’s Action Party (PAP) secretary-general Lee Hsien Loong in all the constituencies, describing it as “highly unsatisfactory”.

The Mountbatten single-ward candidate had written to the department asking if this was against electioneering rules and also took issue with the continued display of SG50 banners during the hustings, given that the PAP candidates’ faces are on them.

Posting a statement on her Facebook page yesterday on the response from the ELD, Mrs Chong-Aruldoss said: “In my view, such posters are not in keeping with the spirit of the legislation. In any case, it is confusing, especially for elderly voters, to see the image of Mr Lee in their constituency.

“It is also a stretch of the plain language of the terms of the permit, which stipulate that posters and banners must ‘relate to the said candidate’,” she added.

The ELD had explained that since voters would be able to identify a political party with its leader, the law does not prohibit a party chief’s pictures to be used on posters in constituencies the party fields candidates in, but these would count towards the allowed quota for each constituency.

This was also not the first time this has been done during campaigning, the office added.

On the ELD’s explanation that posters and banners of her PAP opponent Lim Biow Chuan “for the purpose of celebrating National Day and SG50” are not considered election advertising, Mrs Chong-Aruldoss said: “It is surprising that ELD takes the view that the large colourful billboards bearing laudatory images of Lim Biow Chuan at prominent locations in the constituency (all of which were erected at taxpayer’s expense) do not constitute election advertising. The effect of such promotion of Mr Lim (at taxpayer expense) during the election campaign period is self-evident.”

She added that just because such billboards were put up before the Writ of Election was issued, it did not mean that their continued presence once the campaign period starts is justified. Rather, the ELD should have “required the removal of those billboards on or before the start of campaign period”.

Mrs Chong-Aruldoss also reiterated a point she had made when she first brought the issue to the ELD.

“While I am confident that my work on the ground will be vindicated come Polling Day, I believe the issues raised above are a matter of national interest and should not continue unchecked.”