JOHOR BARU: Candidates contesting in GE13 are fully responsible for the behaviour of their supporters and agents, said Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.
He said candidates must be able to discipline and control their agents and supporters throughout the campaign period and on polling day.
“Candidates should not wash their hands off the matter and use the excuse that it is beyond their control or capability,” Wan Ahmad said during a press conference here yesterday.
He said this after attending a closed-door briefing by the state EC on its machinery for the Gelang Patah parliamentary contest at the Skudai multi-purpose hall.
Wan Ahmad said candidates cited the size of their parties as the reason for their failure to control the unruly conduct of their people.
On a different matter, he said the use of mobile phones would be banned inside polling centres on polling day and during vote counting.
“This applies to all candidates and agents representing the various political parties as well as observers,” said Wan Abdullah.
He said the EC is expected to finalise the list of names of observers from Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines and the Asean Secretariat.
Wan Abdullah said each country and the secretariat could send seven observers although the EC had received requests from some countries to send up to 40.
“We will stick to seven. They are free to send more people but they can come as tourists and not observers,'' he said.
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