News: The
Straits Times - 1 December 2009
24 hours to cool off before Polling Day
No campaigning on eve so voters can make a rational decision
By Chua Chin Hon
PORT OF SPAIN (TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO): Singaporeans will get an extra
'cooling-off' day at the next General Election, a 24-hour period
during which campaigning will not be allowed so that voters can
reflect calmly on their decision.
In announcing the change,
which will also apply to the presidential election, Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong said the idea had been on the table for many
years.
The decision to finally go
ahead comes in the light of another significant set of changes to
the election rules he proposed months ago.
In May, Mr Lee announced in
Parliament that Singapore's political system would be amended to
give non-People's Action Party (PAP) members at least 18 seats, or
nearly one-fifth, of the House.
This would involve changes
regarding Non-Constituency MPs and Nominated MPs, plus the Group
Representation Constituency and single-member ward
schemes.
'The legislation is almost
done now, but there has been a little bit of delay because we had
one further thought, which is to extend the period between
Nomination Day and Polling Day by one extra day and to use that
extra day as a cooling off period before polling itself,' Mr Lee
told the Singapore media at the end of a three-day visit here to
attend biennial Commonwealth meetings. He is now in
Cuba.
He expects the Bill to be
ready for its first reading in January or February, with the
necessary amendments to the Constitution and related legislation
completed after the Budget debate, which traditionally takes place
in late February and early March.
The Budget was presented in
January this year in response to the global financial
crisis.
The idea of a 'cooling-off'
period before the polls is not an uncommon one. Countries
like Australia, Indonesia, Italy and Mexico all have some variation of
this feature in their electoral systems, with anything from one to
three days of campaign silence before the final
vote.
Singapore currently allows campaigning
to take place between Nomination Day and the day before Polling
Day. On the day that votes are cast, however, all campaigning is
disallowed, meaning a ban on mass rallies, door-to-door visits, and
the display of party logos and symbols.
The 'cooling-off' day will, in
effect, be like the Polling Day, when all forms of campaigning are
disallowed.
The one exception will be
party political broadcasts, which are televised on the eve of the
polls to summarise the messages of the different political parties.
This, alongside news reporting on the election, will not be
affected.
The minimum period between
Nomination Day and Polling Day will be extended from nine to 10
days to compensate for the extra cooling off
day.
'So you have basically the
campaign period the same as before, one extra day which is a quiet
day, and then the polling,' Mr Lee said.
'We think there's merit in
this idea (of a cooling-off day). After a very exciting and
emotional election campaign, you really ought to have some time to
calm down, reflect on the issues and the arguments, and analyse
what's at stake, logically, rationally, and then to go in to the
polls to cast your vote in a calm and steady state of
mind.'
Another advantage,
particularly if the election has been an emotional one, is that the
extra day will help lower the risk of public
disorder.
The Prime Minister said he
recalled past election rallies at which there was pushing and
shoving as the crowds got worked up. In some cases, crowds also
refused to disperse after the rallies were
over.
'It is good to have 24 hours
to calm down, think about it, and then tomorrow we vote,' said Mr
Lee.
But will this work as well in
the era of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs and other forms of
online social media?
Mr Lee acknowledged that there
was a grey area with regard to the Internet, where private
exchanges could quickly become public ones, and the policing of
online violators could be tricky. Nonetheless, he hoped the spirit
and principle of the 'cooling-off' period would be upheld by
Internet users.
The websites of the political
parties, however, will be bound by the new
rules.
'I can't control several
million videos on YouTube. But your website, what you are putting
out in your own name, I think that should end on the day before
cooling-off day, said Mr Lee.
With all these political
changes coming up, can Singaporeans expect to see some new faces in
the PAP line-up soon?
Mr Lee declined to give
details, except to say: 'The slate's not complete yet but we are
not at the starting point any more.'
The Prime Minister also
remained coy about whether the changes meant
Singapore would have a General Election
next year.
When asked, he laughed and
said: 'Maybe... I don't have a date for
you.
'There will be many milestones
along the way which will tell you that the date is getting closer.
But even without the milestones, I can tell you the date is getting
closer.'
- end of ST article
Source:
http://www.pmo.gov.sg/News/Transcripts/Prime+Minister/24+hours+to+cool+off+before+Polling+Day.htm
