Bersih 2.0 Calls For EC Commissioners To Resign Over 278 Violations During GE14
"Election laws were ignored or enforced in an arbitrary and often biased manner," said the Bersih 2.0 acting chairman.
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 14 May 2018, 04:43 PM
Today, 14 May, electoral reform group Bersih 2.0 demanded the immediate resignation of all seven Election Commissioners, charging them with 278 violations from the 14th General Election (GE14)
Members of Bersih 2.0 at a press conference calling for the resignation of the commissioners of the Election Commission on 14 May.
Image via Zuraneeza Zulkifli/Malay Mail"Without their removal, there will be difficulties in carrying out institutional reforms," Bersih 2.0 acting chairman Shahrul Aman Mohd Saari told reporters at the presentation of the preliminary findings on GE14 compiled by Bersih and Pemantau, Free Malaysia Today reported.
The 278 violations are based on the number of complaints made by the public to the electoral watchdog group during the election period
Acting Bersih 2.0 chairman Shahrul Aman Mohd Saari (left) after odging a report with the Election Commission (EC) on various complaints related to the electoral roll.
Image via New Straits TimesAccording to Free Malaysia Today, the offences include the unconstitutional redrawing of election boundaries, the failure to clean up the electoral roll to prevent phantom voters, the arbitrary disqualification and prevention of nominations of candidates, and and the failure to reform the postal and advance voting.
Sharul also pointed out that the refusal of the heads of some polling stations to sign Form 14 copies, which delayed the final election results, also constituted an offence under Section 4(a) of the Election Offences Act 1954.
"In many instances, the forms were handed over only after pressure from counting agents. However, there were reports from Selangor, Perak, Johor and Sabah that counting agents were unable to get their copies of this form," he said.
According to Sharul, the EC is responsible for allowing GE14 to be "rife with corruption, fraud and malpractice"
"Election laws were ignored or enforced in an arbitrary and often biased manner," he said.
He added that, "The EC failed to command public confidence in managing the electoral process and system, and ruined the integrity of GE14."
Executive director Yap Swee Seng said that they expected the resignation and charging of the commissioners and officers to be completed within 100 days
Shahrul Aman Mohd Saari (left) and Yap Swee Seng (middle) talking to reporters on 24 April.
Image via Zuraneeza Zulkifli/Malay MailAccording to Malay Mail, Yap suggested that, "A special task force must be set up by the police and Attorney-General's Chambers to see this through, and a Royal Commission of Inquiry should also be initiated into the electoral system so that reforms can take place."
In the coming weeks, Bersih 2.0 will also be releasing a comprehensive report analysing GE14's fairness and making recommendations to rectify the country's electoral system.