SINGAPORE: The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said on Sunday (Jun 28) that political parties and candidates involved in the general election are not required to submit scripts for online campaigning.
"Political parties and candidates can carry out campaigning on the Internet. There is no requirement to submit their scripts for such Internet campaigning activities, including online rallies," IMDA said in an article on the gov.sg website.
Advertisement Advertisement Political parties will have to rely heavily on television broadcasts and online platforms during the campaign period, as physical rallies and large gatherings are not allowed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
[h=3]READ: GE2020: Constituency political broadcasts to start from Jul 3; keep safe distance when campaigning, says ELD[/h]Up to 10 livestreaming venues will be provided each day by the Government for online rallies from Jul 1 to Jul 8.
Constituency Political Broadcasts, which are pre-recorded and will allow candidates three minutes to reach out to voters, will be aired on Mediacorp’s Channel 5 from Jul 3 to Jul 7, from 7pm onwards.
Advertisement Advertisement Political parties that field at least six candidates are also entitled to Party Political Broadcasts (PPB), which are scheduled on Jul 2 and Jul 9, from 7pm onwards. These will be broadcast on 19 TV and radio channels.
Mediacorp is required to have political parties submit their scripts ahead of recording their PPBs on TV, IMDA said.
“This is to ensure that contents do not contain libellous statements or statements that may cause racial or religious tensions,” the authority added. “This has been the same arrangement in place since the 1980s.
“Political parties and candidates should conduct election campaigning in a responsible and dignified manner that befits the seriousness of the election process.”
Let's block ads! (Why?)
More...