SDP: No reply from Elections Department

[metalslug]

http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4863-no-reply-from-elections-department

No reply from Elections Department
Friday, 17 June 2011
Singapore Democrats


The Singapore Democrats wrote to the Elections Department on 26 May 11, pointing out a series of inconsistent practices carried out by election officials on polling day during GE 2011. It has been three weeks and the ELD has yet to reply.

The most serious concern is the fact that buses that were used to transport the ballot boxes to the counting centres had carried other ballot boxes.

Our polling agents had observed that when the buses arrived at the polling stations to pick up ballot boxes there were other boxes on board. When our polling agents asked to inspect these boxes to verify their source and to make sure that they were valid, presiding officers refused to allow them to do so.

The officers also refused to explain why the boxes were in the bus or where them had come from.

Other problems include the inconsistent application of rules by different officers at different polling stations. Presiding officers did not follow these reulations which resulted in situations where our candidates were barred from entering the polling stations even though they were plainly authorised to do so.

When it comes to elections one cannot be too careful and the ELD must take every measure to ensure that the process is completely transparent and not leave room for any questions.

We have written to the ELD again and reminded them to respond to our queries. We append the letter that we wrote on 26 May:

26 May 2011

Ms Goh Jing Xian
Manager (Public Education & Training)
Elections Department, Prime Minister’s Office

Dear Ms Goh,

We thank you for your reply.

Before I give you the names of the places where we encountered problems, I wish to bring to your attention another observation.

Our polling agents stationed at Beacon Primary School said that when the bus arrived to pick up the ballot boxes, they noticed that there were already ballot boxes on board. We presume that these were ballot boxes that were picked up from another polling station.

Our polling agents wanted to verify this by checking those boxes. Unfortunately they were prevented from doing so. How does one ensure that the boxes being transported are indeed the ones that were used for polling during the day from another polling station?

With regards to the disallowance of candidates into the polling stations, we wish to bring to your attention that at the Hwa Chong Institution, Bukit Timah Primary School, and Raffles Girls Primary School our Holland-Bukit Timah GRC candidates were refused entry.

This is in contravention of the Parliamentary Elections Act which, as you say, states that "candidates contesting at the election in a constituency and their authorised polling agents may enter a polling station during the poll in that constituency."

With reference to food being consumed inside the polling stations, we wish to inform you that across the polling stations at the Sembawang and Holland-Bukit GRCs, we were allowed to deliver meals to our polling agents.

However, at around 5pm when we were getting dinner for our polling agents at several polling stations across the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, we were suddenly prevented from going into the polling stations to handover the food. This was not the case for the polling stations in the other constituencies.

We also note that in your letter you state that: "Polling agents are allowed to enter the polling station on condition that the election agent has informed the presiding officers of the names of the polling agents who are to be stationed at the polling station."

We were told the day before by ELD officials that we did not have to inform the presiding officers the names of our polling agents before they could enter the polling stations. All they needed to do was to present the oath of secrecy form and the letter of appointment. Hence, we did not prepare any list.

Yet, without these lists our polling agents were allowed entry into all the polling stations except for one.

You also say that, "Each time a candidate’s polling agent seeks entry to the polling station during the day, the presiding officer will ask to check the letter of appointment and to keep the oath of secrecy form."

Apparently this is not the case as the polling stations at our Sembawang GRC did not insist on this procedure. Our polling agents at the Beascon Primary School at the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC was also not required to hand in the oath of secrecy form each time they entered the station.

Finally, the schedule provided to us clearly stated that the main counting centre for the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC was at the Zhenghua Secondary School. However, our candidates were told by the presiding officer there that the Zhenghua school was not the main counting centre. Asked where it was, your officials said that they did not know.

These inconsistencies make the polling monitoring process extremely unsettling and raise many questions about the polling process itself. We hope you will look into them and provide us with clarifications.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Chee Soon Juan
Secretary-General
Singapore Democratic Party

 

[steffychun]

WP re-organise the CEC, SDP only knows how to complain.

Time for Chee to migrate. I bet you he'll still complain to the Election Departments in any country.

 

[kukubird58]

hahaha....our mighty csj now can only make this type of micky mouse noises......
cum on my idol.....time for some fireworks.......bring the old fart to court again before he is gone forever.......

 

[GoldenDragon]

hahaha....our mighty csj now can only make this type of micky mouse noises......
cum on my idol.....time for some fireworks.......bring the old fart to court again before he is gone forever.......

Old fart has a more formidable opponent waiting for him when he ups the lorry - JBJ! That's why he fears death.

 

[Karht Lee]

Why the elections department bo hiew them? [video=youtube;ofRrRuJEKY8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofRrRuJEKY8[/video]

 

[kukubird58]

Old fart has a more formidable opponent waiting for him when he ups the lorry - JBJ! That's why he fears death.

hahaha...bro GD, long time no "too", how's life.....
sshh.....tell you some inside news, old fart may bring along some body guards when he ups the lorry.

 

[cleareyes]

IS SDP indirectly saying that PAP rigged the votes???????

 

[johnny333]

Old fart has a more formidable opponent waiting for him when he ups the lorry - JBJ! That's why he fears death.

I think the last leave is going in the opposite direction

Sure to meet his old friends like Suharto, Marcos,.....

 

[Cruxx]

[video=youtube;Dwb1Mnpp3hs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwb1Mnpp3hs[/video]

 

[Bigfuck]

IS SDP indirectly saying that PAP rigged the votes???????

Are you indirectly trying to find a way to sue SDP?

 

[cleareyes]

Are you indirectly trying to find a way to sue SDP?

There is no reason for me to sue SDP. But I do have reason in wondering why are they trying to make things difficult for others just for their own attention seeking sake.

 

[johnny333]

IS SDP indirectly saying that PAP rigged the votes???????

Why is there an Election Department if not to handle grievances on electoral matters

If someone brings up a complaint they are there to investigate, right?
If the Election Department fails to look into a valid complaint then ....

 

[pocoyo]

Why is there an Election Department if not to handle grievances on electoral matters

If someone brings up a complaint they are there to investigate, right?
If the Election Department fails to look into a valid complaint then ....

I once read on local newspaper that someone was assulted by someone else and reported it to the police.

Thinking the police would place the culprit under arrest under assult or to investigate the matter, he was told to file a civil suit against the culprit.

So why the govt set up the police force?

 

[steffychun]

Come the year 3000, SDP will still not get any seats in parliament.

 

[johnny333]

I once read on local newspaper that someone was assulted by someone else and reported it to the police.

Thinking the police would place the culprit under arrest under assult or to investigate the matter, he was told to file a civil suit against the culprit.

So why the govt set up the police force?

I remember when things used to worked in Spore. This was before the million dollar salaries.

Nowadays it's all about who you are & your connections. There is now alot of divisiveness in Spore. A new vocabulary has sprung up to describe the new reality: foreign talent, locals, elite, lesser mortals,.....

Despite the high pay gov't have become tai chi experts:(

 

[cleareyes]

Why is there an Election Department if not to handle grievances on electoral matters

If someone brings up a complaint they are there to investigate, right?
If the Election Department fails to look into a valid complaint then ....

I have no issue of SDP filing a complain if something is really amissed. I m however quite uncomfortable with the implication of their complaint, much of it had present itself qwith an indirect accusation of sort and yet, not willing to be direct as doing so would mean that SDP themselves must be able to present evidences, which so far, of all thair many complaints, they have not able to show cause or case of much of them been even close to valid.

look at the following statement:

"The most serious concern is the fact that buses that were used to transport the ballot boxes to the counting centres had carried other ballot boxes.

Our polling agents had observed that when the buses arrived at the polling stations to pick up ballot boxes there were other boxes on board. When our polling agents asked to inspect these boxes to verify their source and to make sure that they were valid, presiding officers refused to allow them to do so.

The officers also refused to explain why the boxes were in the bus or where them had come from. "

Are polling agents allow to inspect ballot boxes other than those from the centre they are posted to?
Are the polling agents allow access to information on locations and purpose of boxes of any kind?

I have numerous questions to put out here.

But my main question is still: What is the purpose of SDP writing such an article?

 

[johnny333]

I m however quite uncomfortable with the implication of their complaint, much of it had present itself qwith an indirect accusation of sort and yet, not willing to be direct as doing so would mean that SDP themselves must be able to present evidences, which so far, of all thair many complaints, they have not able to show cause or case of much of them been even close to valid.

Didn't LKY tell Sporeans they should join political parties if thet want to criticise the gov'ts

Well SDP is a political party & they think there's something fishy.

We've all read about political posters being torn down, PAP candidates electioneering during the cooling off period,... Obviously the PAP is not above breaking their own rules

In Spore the comfort of individuals don't matter unless of course you're an elite

 

[jw5]

But my main question is still: What is the purpose of SDP writing such an article?

Because the pap are the ones transporting the ballot boxes?

 

[jw5]

Didn't LKY tell Sporeans they should join political parties if thet want to criticise the gov'ts

Well SDP is a political party & they think there's something fishy.

We've all read about political posters being torn down, PAP candidates electioneering during the cooling off period,... Obviously the PAP is not above breaking their own rules

In Spore the comfort of individuals don't matter unless of course you're an elite

They should really concentrate on winning instead of whinning that the referees are unfair, the pitch is too wide, the floodlights are too dim, etc etc.

By all means whine if there is really evidence of foul play, but for the main part, just concentrate on trying to win.

If the elections were really unfair, George Yeo would still be foreign affairs ministar and we would still be honoured to have a 'second' ministar hanging around helping here and there.

 

[sirus]

They should really concentrate on winning instead of whinning that the referees are unfair, the pitch is too wide, the floodlights are too dim, etc etc.

By all means whine if there is really evidence of foul play, but for the main part, just concentrate on trying to win.

Agree, WP scored 6 goals even the ball was bigger than the pap's goal post. he...he...