Opposition candidates slam EC's new election rules

PETALING JAYA: The Election Commission (EC) is acting in a biased manner in allowing only pictures of party presidents and deputy presidents to be used during the 14th General Election (GE14) campaign, said Pakatan Harapan president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Claiming that the EC's latest announcement goes beyond their duties as stipulated in the Federal Constitution, Wan Azizah said the ruling was only the means to prevent both pictures of PKR de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Harapan chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad from being used.
"It was a desperate measure to ban the use of Anwar and Mahathir's pictures as campaign material for GE14.
"Obviously, the EC is acting beyond its three main duties and responsibilities as stipulated in Article 113 of the Federal Constitution, namely conducting elections, preparing and reviewing the voter registry and conducting the redelineation of federal and state constituencies.
"The EC should ensure that GE14 runs free, fair and in a transparent manner rather than setting biased and unreasonable conditions," she said in a statement.
She was commenting on the EC's latest announcement on the additional rules which was issued by its chairman, Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah today.
The prohibition of posting pictures other than nominees and the two top leaders of the respective parties were made on the grounds of "maintaining peace and not confusing the voters".
Meanwhile, Federal Territories DAP secretary Lim Lip Eng also questioned the ruling issued barely days before nomination and campaigning.
"Three more days before nominations and two weeks before polling day, the campaign material is already in the process of printing and is about to be ready for use," he said.
The Kepong DAP candidate said the EC's attempt was likely to prevent the use of Mahathir's pictures in campaign materials.
Meanwhile in PENANG, caretaker Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has accused the EC of practising double standards following the additional requirements on the use of campaign materials with the pictures of party leaders.
Lim said the additional requirements was not fair, and favours the ruling coalition — Barisan Nasional (BN).
"The decision not to allow Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's pictures during the election is an effort to rig the election process.
"BN wants to steal the election (by using EC)", he said during a press conference at Komtar today.