Bersih to ‘name and shame’ candidates
Bersih says it will ‘name and shame’ candidates who condone political violence.
K Pragalath, FMT
Election reform watchdog Bersih today announced that it would “name and shame” politicians and election candidates who do not support its campaign against political violence.
“We’ll name and shame them. Silence is not an option. Vote against the MPs who encourage political violence and those who are silent about it.
“We will tell the public not to vote for them,” Bersih co-chairman, S Ambiga, said at the launching of Bersih’s “Reject political violence” campaign today.
The campaign kicked off with Bersih co-chairman A Samad Said sending SMSes to PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad (PAS), Batu MP Tian Chua (PKR), Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and Ipoh Timor MP Lim Kit Siang.
Besides the SMS, Bersih hopes to use the social media and by word of mouth to spread the message.
Ambiga also said that Bersih would accept any invitation to any political ceramah and also to speak up against political violence.
She listed nine instances of political violence that have occurred since January this year.
The election reform watchdog also announced that it would be releasing a code of conduct for candidates and rules of a caretaker government next week.
On another issue, Ambiga criticised Election Commission deputy chairman, Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, for saying that the election would take place before the conclusion of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Sabah, and that the EC was powerless to act as the RCI has not ended.
