Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga says any politician who violates the prohibitions listed in their guidelines will be blacklisted by the coalition.
PETALING JAYA: Impatient with the authorities’ feet-dragging over the matter, the coalition for free and fair elections, Bersih 2.0, today launched a guideline for the caretaker government, as well as code of conduct for Election 2013 participants.
“This is the right time, as the parliament was dissolved yesterday and a caretaker government is now in place. Since no one is interested in issuing guidelines for the caretaker government, Bersih has issued it,” said Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga at a press conference today.
“Basically a caretaker government can’t do much. Delivery of services, security… all of these the caretaker government must provide to everybody without fear or favour or bias,” she explained.
According to the guidelines she read out, a caretaker government is unable to:
make major policy decisions that are likely to commit an incoming government;
make significant appointments;
enter major contracts or undertakings;
announce new financial grants in any form whatsoever or promises thereof;
lay foundation stones etc., or projects or schemes of any kind; and
make any new promises of construction of infrastructure or the carrying out of public projects.
Last Thursday, Election Commission (EC) chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said it had no power to make guidelines for the caretaker government as there was no provision under the constitution and law.
De facto law minister Nazri Aziz, meanwhile, said last week he was requesting the Attorney-General’s Chambers to set the guidelines for the caretaker government, but Bersih today pointed out he was too slow.
“It’s a bit late by now, if the guidelines aren’t out by the time the Parliament is dissolved. But they can always refer to our guidelines,” said Ambiga.
Universal standards
Meanwhile, the code of conduct for participants of the 13th general election prepared by Bersih prohibits speech that promotes ill-will and hostility, smear campaigns, intimidation and violence, and election offences.
It also emphasised the freedom of journalists and election observers to carry out their duties.
Ambiga said that the list of rules was adopted from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) 1994 Declaration on Criteria for Free and Fair Elections, the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom, the Election Commission of India, and the Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate of the Australian Capital Territory.
“The reason we set out the IPU declaration and resolution is because Malaysia has been a member since 1967. We also sit on the Human Rights Council.
“So all these standards we refer to are universal standards. As members, we have a moral duty to abide by standards and regulations. Nobody can therefore say they aren’t aware,” she said.
Name and shame
When asked what sanctions would be placed on individuals who violated the guidelines, Ambiga said Bersih would name and shame them.
“There will be consequences,” she promised. “We will keep an eye on them, on all the candidates. So whoever breaches this code of conduct, we will take them to task.
“This is the people enforcing and demanding the best conduct from our potential leaders. If the candidates breach this rule, we will blacklist them on our website.”
But she said that all individuals would be given a chance to explain themselves and apologise before being blacklisted.
Maria Chin Abdullah, who is a Bersih steering committee member, said that they already had two potential candidates for their blacklist: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Hishammuddin had last month blamed the opposition pact for the increasing political violence, saying that they had riled up BN supporters with their derogatory labels of the police force.
Meanwhile, after Najib announced the Dewan Rakyat’s dissolution, Zahid had tweeted yesterday: “we shall move to the warzone to kill all adversed (sic) politicial intruders.”
“What does he mean and why does he use such harsh words? ‘Kill’? are we entering the war zone?” Maria said.
“We will give them a chance to refute before blacklisting. And even after they are blacklisted, they can come to us and rectify.”
PETALING JAYA: Impatient with the authorities’ feet-dragging over the matter, the coalition for free and fair elections, Bersih 2.0, today launched a guideline for the caretaker government, as well as code of conduct for Election 2013 participants.“This is the right time, as the parliament was dissolved yesterday and a caretaker government is now in place. Since no one is interested in issuing guidelines for the caretaker government, Bersih has issued it,” said Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga at a press conference today.
“Basically a caretaker government can’t do much. Delivery of services, security… all of these the caretaker government must provide to everybody without fear or favour or bias,” she explained.
According to the guidelines she read out, a caretaker government is unable to:
make major policy decisions that are likely to commit an incoming government;
make significant appointments;
enter major contracts or undertakings;
announce new financial grants in any form whatsoever or promises thereof;
lay foundation stones etc., or projects or schemes of any kind; and
make any new promises of construction of infrastructure or the carrying out of public projects.
Last Thursday, Election Commission (EC) chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said it had no power to make guidelines for the caretaker government as there was no provision under the constitution and law.
De facto law minister Nazri Aziz, meanwhile, said last week he was requesting the Attorney-General’s Chambers to set the guidelines for the caretaker government, but Bersih today pointed out he was too slow.
“It’s a bit late by now, if the guidelines aren’t out by the time the Parliament is dissolved. But they can always refer to our guidelines,” said Ambiga.
Universal standards
Meanwhile, the code of conduct for participants of the 13th general election prepared by Bersih prohibits speech that promotes ill-will and hostility, smear campaigns, intimidation and violence, and election offences.
It also emphasised the freedom of journalists and election observers to carry out their duties.
Ambiga said that the list of rules was adopted from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) 1994 Declaration on Criteria for Free and Fair Elections, the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom, the Election Commission of India, and the Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate of the Australian Capital Territory.
“The reason we set out the IPU declaration and resolution is because Malaysia has been a member since 1967. We also sit on the Human Rights Council.
“So all these standards we refer to are universal standards. As members, we have a moral duty to abide by standards and regulations. Nobody can therefore say they aren’t aware,” she said.
Name and shame
When asked what sanctions would be placed on individuals who violated the guidelines, Ambiga said Bersih would name and shame them.
“There will be consequences,” she promised. “We will keep an eye on them, on all the candidates. So whoever breaches this code of conduct, we will take them to task.
“This is the people enforcing and demanding the best conduct from our potential leaders. If the candidates breach this rule, we will blacklist them on our website.”
But she said that all individuals would be given a chance to explain themselves and apologise before being blacklisted.
Maria Chin Abdullah, who is a Bersih steering committee member, said that they already had two potential candidates for their blacklist: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Hishammuddin had last month blamed the opposition pact for the increasing political violence, saying that they had riled up BN supporters with their derogatory labels of the police force.
Meanwhile, after Najib announced the Dewan Rakyat’s dissolution, Zahid had tweeted yesterday: “we shall move to the warzone to kill all adversed (sic) politicial intruders.”
“What does he mean and why does he use such harsh words? ‘Kill’? are we entering the war zone?” Maria said.
“We will give them a chance to refute before blacklisting. And even after they are blacklisted, they can come to us and rectify.”
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