KOTA KINABALU: There should be no more project or allocation announcements by the Sabah caretaker government now that the state assembly is dissolved, says Bersih.
The election watchdog said both Federal and state governments should refrain from such announcements until a new Sabah government is formed.
“With the dissolution on October 6, the caretaker government now has no power whatsoever,” it said.
The secretariat said Sabah politicians should refrain from attending or officiating functions that announce funding or allocations.
It said that if such events were planned earlier, state level civil servants should conduct the presentations without involving politicians.
It said relevant good practices include Commonwealth conventions and the Model Commitment for Advancing Genuine and Credible Elections by International IDEA.
Bersih cited the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, the National Democratic Institute, the Kofi Annan Foundation and The Carter Center.
These practices emphasise the government’s duty to remain neutral in elections, said Bersih.
It said this is important to ensure a highly credible election free from unnecessary government influence.
Bersih then added that the caretaker state government should not join pre planned allocation ceremonies, nor should the federal government involve incumbents in government functions.
This aligns with Bersih’s 3C principles of no condition, no campaign and no candidate.
It reminded all to uphold a clean, independent and just election, especially the federal government that espouses democratic reform and justice and then added public resources cannot be used to advantage any party, especially the ruling government.
Bersih reminded politicians and candidates to campaign fairly without using government resources or machinery.
It said abuse of public funds and power for political reasons betrays the people’s trust.
“Sabahans deserve a clean and honest election, not corrupt political play,” it said.
It urged Sabahans to participate in clean elections for the future of the state and nation.
Bersih also called on interested parties to register at https://pemantau.org/daftar/ to join its election watch.
