GE2020: ELD advises political parties, candidates not to engage in shouting, chanting of slogans during campaigning

SINGAPORE — The Elections Department Singapore (ELD) has advised political parties and their candidates here not to engage in shouting or chanting of party slogans during campaigning.

In an advisory on Monday (July 6), ELD said that it has been alerted to recent incidents of political parties and their candidates shouting or chanting party slogans during walkabouts.

Crowds were then observed to have gathered around the parties and candidates without the safe distancing of at least 1m as per Covid-19 regulations.

“This is observed across political parties and candidates,” ELD said.

The authority stressed the need for cooperation from the political parties and candidates because shouting and chanting are likely to draw a crowd, which makes it “more challenging to ensure safe distancing”.

ELD pointed out that shouting and chanting will also generate more saliva droplets and, especially when done in a large group, will significantly increase the risk of Covid-19 transmission.

All political parties and candidates are expected to remind any crowd that forms to comply with safe management measures, ELD said.

“If members of the public do not comply with safe management measures, political parties and candidates should disengage and leave the area.” 

The aunthority reminded political parties and candidates that protecting the health and safety of the public is of “utmost importance”.

“ELD calls on all political parties and candidates to be responsible and adhere to safe management measures and the prevailing public health advisories during campaigning.”

It stressed that campaigning should be done in a lawful and orderly manner. It also said that political parties and candidates must avoid confrontations with other parties that may easily escalate into disorder, such as when there is shouting and chanting of party slogans by rival groups in a confined area.

Over the weekend, shouting matches erupted between the different political camps. In one incident, supporters of the People’s Action Party and the Progress Singapore Party were seen chanting slogans at a coffee shop in Yishun on Saturday.

Singapore on Monday reported 183 new Covid-19 cases, of which 23 were cases in the community. This is the highest number of daily community cases reported in more than two months.