Bersih 2.0 refuse to acknowledge poll results until irregularities are addressed

Anwar said Pakatan would challenge the results of seats in which its candidates lost by thin margins of 1,000 to 2,000 votes.

(The Star) - Bersih 2.0 has refused to recognise the newly elected government, until reports of irregularities and violations in the election process are addressed.

Bersih co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan told reporters that the coalition and its observer group Pemantau had found numerous instances of fraud, phantom voters and other irregularities during the casting and counting of ballots.

"Hence we are questioning the legitimacy of some of the results during the general elections and are withholding our recognition of the government until the reports are addressed," she said.

Ambiga also blasted the Election Commission over its use of indelible ink.

"They failed miserably during the election. Their explanation of why the indelible ink could be easily washed off totally defies logic. It also raises questions of why so much money, RM10 million actually, was spent on ink that doesn't stay on the finger," she said.

Ambiga called on supporters to wear an article of black clothing for a month as a symbolic response to the cries of election fraud.

"I also call for a boycott of media organisations that had aided and abetted the uneven playing field" she said.

Five Pemantau observers were arrested in Wangsa Maju for "wrongful restrain" and were allegedly refused access to lawyers.

Another two were arrested in Ayer Keroh, Malacca.

It said that observers were also chased out of polling centres in Pekan, Temerloh and Danau Kota, by groups they claim were Barisan supporters.

Barisan won GE13 yesterday by a simple majority of 133 parliamentary seats to Pakatan's 89.

Pakatan leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim however refused to accept the results, citing alleged instances of irregularities in the voting process, like advance and postal votes, the presence of foreigners in the electoral toll and delays by the EC in announcing results in certain key areas.

Anwar said Pakatan would challenge the results of seats in which its candidates lost by thin margins of 1,000 to 2,000 votes.

Netizens have also cried foul over the GE13 results, with photos and videos of alleged foreign phantom voters and claims of blackouts that swung narrow calls circulating on social media.