The Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election confirmed that as of Wednesday (June 21) it had approved 27 applications for legal status as submitted by respective nomination committees.

Of those approved, 21 applications related to the direct election process and six to the indirect election process, the Chairman of the Commission, Mr Tong Hio Fong, told reporters after Wednesday’s meeting.

Campaign teams wishing to contest the 2017 Legislative Assembly Election – to be held on 17 September – were obliged to submit on or before a 20 June deadline their applications to form nomination committees.

By deadline day, the Commission had received a total of 31 applications to form nomination committees – 25 relating to the direct election process and six to the indirect election process.

Mr Tong said there were various reasons why adjudications on four applications were still pending. Either the election team had submitted applications containing fewer than the required 300 voter names; or a team’s proposed logo was similar to some registered trademark designs. The Commission was to notify trustees of the nomination committees concerned, advising them to submit the necessary material within five days, starting from the date the Commission issued such a notice.

The Commission would announce a list of all approved nomination committees once it finished processing all applications, added Mr Tong.

In addition, the Commission had identified a total of 103 individuals signing the nomination papers of more than one nomination committee, contrary to the rules.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the Commission decided to use on election day translucent curtains in voting booths, of the sort adopted in 2013’s election. Mr Tong said such curtains would enable polling station staff to monitor voter activity in the booth to guard against irregularities in voting, while at the same time ensuring sufficient privacy for voters during the act of casting their ballot.