ICAC adopts robust and holistic strategy to safeguard clean Legislative Council Election
2021-10-29
The ICAC is adopting a holistic strategy, encompassing robust law enforcement, meticulous prevention as well as comprehensive education to uphold a fair and clean Legislative Council (LegCo) Election.
The 2021 LegCo General Election, scheduled for December 19 this year, will be open for nominations from tomorrow (Saturday) until November 12.
“The LegCo General Election will be the first public election of such a large scale under the new electoral system. Leveraging on the experience from the Election Committee Subsector Elections which took place earlier this year and the amendments made to the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance (ECICO), the ICAC is geared up for the upcoming challenge”, said ICAC’s Programme Coordinator (Clean Elections) Franklin Chiu Yue-tat.
Under the amended ECICO, two new offences have been introduced, including wilfully obstructing or preventing another person from voting at an election as a corrupt conduct; and inciting voters not to vote or to cast invalid votes by activity in public during election period as an illegal conduct.
“The ICAC will adopt a preventive and intervention approach by requesting social media platforms/websites to remove contents which may constitute manipulating or sabotaging the election,” said Mr Chiu.
“The ICAC will continue to enforce the ECICO rigorously and impartially in accordance with the law, regardless of the background, social status and positions of the persons involved. Investigating officers from the Operations Department will be deployed to polling stations across the territory on polling day to deal with complaints and enquiries swiftly, as well as to carry out law enforcement duties whenever necessary,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Corruption Prevention Department (CPD) is conducting a corruption prevention review on public elections and for this purpose will visit selected polling stations to observe the polling and vote counting processes on polling day.
To prevent vote-rigging by ineligible persons through obtaining membership in specified bodies under LegCo Functional Constituencies by deception, the CPD has issued guidelines to specified bodies to help them strengthen their membership administration. The CPD has also provided corruption prevention advice to specified bodies participating for the first time in the LegCo Election.
The ICAC will continue to liaise and work closely with the Electoral Affairs Commission, Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau and Registration and Electoral Office, as well as the Hong Kong Police Force to ensure that the election is held in a fair, just and open manner.
On the education front, the Community Relations Department (CRD) has kicked off a series of initiatives to disseminate clean election messages to the public, including Flash Roadshows, TV and radio programmes, posters and leaflets. The CRD will also approach tertiary institutes and elderly centres to promote the importance of upholding a clean election.
ICAC officers will conduct talks and briefings for different organisations, political parties and individuals who wish to take part in the upcoming elections, and will attend briefings organised by the Electoral Affairs Commission for election candidates, agents and their helpers. Meanwhile, taking into account the scale of the election, around 50 briefings will be organised for over 30,000 polling station staff in order to enhance their awareness of possible corruption risks in the voting and counting procedures, as well as related electoral offences.
“Through briefings and educational services, CRD officers will help members of the public better understand the electoral law and avoid breaching it inadvertently,” Mr Chiu said.
The ICAC has also produced a Clean Legislative Council Election Information Booklet which will be distributed to candidates when they submit their nominations. The publication highlights major provisions of the ECICO, including detailed explanation of the two newly introduced offences.
The booklet also features a “Questions and Answers” section with scenarios addressing common concerns raised by candidates in previous LegCo elections, as well as a Dos and Don’ts Checklist to serve as a quick reminder for candidates and their election helpers.
Educational and reference materials relating to the LegCo Election are available for public access on the ICAC’s dedicated clean election webpage for the LegCo Election at www.icac.org.hk/en/ce/index.html.
Members of the public may also call the ICAC’s Clean Election Enquiry Hotline 2920 7878 for enquiries on the ECICO and the Commission’s education and promotion activities, or lodge complaints against any suspected breaches of the ECICO with the 24-hour ICAC Report Centre at 25 266 366. Both of the hotlines will maintain operations on the polling day.
The 2021 LegCo General Election, scheduled for December 19 this year, will be open for nominations from tomorrow (Saturday) until November 12.
“The LegCo General Election will be the first public election of such a large scale under the new electoral system. Leveraging on the experience from the Election Committee Subsector Elections which took place earlier this year and the amendments made to the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance (ECICO), the ICAC is geared up for the upcoming challenge”, said ICAC’s Programme Coordinator (Clean Elections) Franklin Chiu Yue-tat.
Under the amended ECICO, two new offences have been introduced, including wilfully obstructing or preventing another person from voting at an election as a corrupt conduct; and inciting voters not to vote or to cast invalid votes by activity in public during election period as an illegal conduct.
“The ICAC will adopt a preventive and intervention approach by requesting social media platforms/websites to remove contents which may constitute manipulating or sabotaging the election,” said Mr Chiu.
“The ICAC will continue to enforce the ECICO rigorously and impartially in accordance with the law, regardless of the background, social status and positions of the persons involved. Investigating officers from the Operations Department will be deployed to polling stations across the territory on polling day to deal with complaints and enquiries swiftly, as well as to carry out law enforcement duties whenever necessary,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Corruption Prevention Department (CPD) is conducting a corruption prevention review on public elections and for this purpose will visit selected polling stations to observe the polling and vote counting processes on polling day.
To prevent vote-rigging by ineligible persons through obtaining membership in specified bodies under LegCo Functional Constituencies by deception, the CPD has issued guidelines to specified bodies to help them strengthen their membership administration. The CPD has also provided corruption prevention advice to specified bodies participating for the first time in the LegCo Election.
The ICAC will continue to liaise and work closely with the Electoral Affairs Commission, Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau and Registration and Electoral Office, as well as the Hong Kong Police Force to ensure that the election is held in a fair, just and open manner.
On the education front, the Community Relations Department (CRD) has kicked off a series of initiatives to disseminate clean election messages to the public, including Flash Roadshows, TV and radio programmes, posters and leaflets. The CRD will also approach tertiary institutes and elderly centres to promote the importance of upholding a clean election.
ICAC officers will conduct talks and briefings for different organisations, political parties and individuals who wish to take part in the upcoming elections, and will attend briefings organised by the Electoral Affairs Commission for election candidates, agents and their helpers. Meanwhile, taking into account the scale of the election, around 50 briefings will be organised for over 30,000 polling station staff in order to enhance their awareness of possible corruption risks in the voting and counting procedures, as well as related electoral offences.
“Through briefings and educational services, CRD officers will help members of the public better understand the electoral law and avoid breaching it inadvertently,” Mr Chiu said.
The ICAC has also produced a Clean Legislative Council Election Information Booklet which will be distributed to candidates when they submit their nominations. The publication highlights major provisions of the ECICO, including detailed explanation of the two newly introduced offences.
The booklet also features a “Questions and Answers” section with scenarios addressing common concerns raised by candidates in previous LegCo elections, as well as a Dos and Don’ts Checklist to serve as a quick reminder for candidates and their election helpers.
Educational and reference materials relating to the LegCo Election are available for public access on the ICAC’s dedicated clean election webpage for the LegCo Election at www.icac.org.hk/en/ce/index.html.
Members of the public may also call the ICAC’s Clean Election Enquiry Hotline 2920 7878 for enquiries on the ECICO and the Commission’s education and promotion activities, or lodge complaints against any suspected breaches of the ECICO with the 24-hour ICAC Report Centre at 25 266 366. Both of the hotlines will maintain operations on the polling day.
