REPLY:
15
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1994
(B) HOW IT CAN PREVENT SIMILAR PROBLEMS FROM RECURRING
FUTURE ELECTIONS?
IN
MR PRESIDENT,
THE
DISTRICT
FOR BOARD
ELECTION-RELATED
THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION (BEC) IS RESPONSIBLE
RECENT OF CONDUCT
ELECTIONS. PRIOR TO THE ELECTIONS THE BEC HAD ISSUED DETAILED GUIDELINES ON
MEDIA REPORTING
THE
THE ACTIVITIES.
WAS COVERED BY
GUIDELINES.
UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE IN
FAIR AND THESE GUIDELINES IS THAT EQUAL,
THAT CONSISTENT TREATMENT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ALL CANDIDATES TO ENSURE
TO ACCEPTABLE ELECTIONS ARE HELD IN AN OPEN AND HONEST MANNER COMMUNITY. THE BEC ALSO APPEALED TO THE MASS MEDIA TO PROVIDE
TREATMENT то FAIR
WHEN ALL
REPORTING CANDIDATES ELECTIONEERING ACTIVITIES. ANY PUBLISHER WHO TREATS SOME CANDIDATES FAVOURABLY OVER OTHERS MAY BE PUBLICLY DENOUNCED OR CENSURED BEC. CASES INVOLVING ILLEGAL AND CORRUPT ACTIVITIES WILL BE TO THE APPROPRIATE ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY FOR FURTHER ACTION.
AND
DURING
THE RECENT
THE EQUAL THEIR
BY THE REFERRED
ΤΟ NEWSPAPER
BEC INVESTIGATED TWO
ONE
SOME PROVIDED INFORMATION AND
DD ELECTIONS, THE ALLEGED PARTIALITY SHOWN BY COMPLAINTS ON CANDIDATES. UPON REQUEST, THE NEWSPAPER EXPLANATION TO FACILITATE THE BEC'S INVESTIGATION.
IT,
THE
TO
DELIBERATELY
SUBSTANTIATE
FAVOURED
THE
ANY
AFTER A THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED TO THE BEC FOUND THAT NO ILLEGAL OR CORRUPT PRACTICES WERE INVOLVED. BEC
NOT ALSO DID
SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE COMPLAINTS THAT THE NEWSPAPER HAD CANDIDATES. THE COMPLAINANTS WERE ACCORDINGLY INFORMED.
FIND
FOR THE ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN 1995, THE BEC WILL CONTINUE EXPLAIN ITS ELECTION GUIDELINES TO ALL CONCERNED AND WILL AGAIN REMIND ON THE MASS MEDIA OF THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUAL TREATMENT WHEN REPORTING CANDIDATES' ACTIVITIES.
TO
LONG-TERM POLICY FOR SINGLE PARENT FAMILY
FOLLOWING IS A QUESTION BY THE HON FRED LI AND A REPLY BY SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS KATHERINE FOK, IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY):
QUESTION : IN
THE
THE
VIEW OF
THE
THE FACT THAT THERE ARE ABOUT
OF 5,000 35,000 SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES IN THE TERRITORY WHO ARE IN RECEIPT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE ALLOWANCE AND THAT THE NUMBER OF SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES HAS BEEN INCREASING AS A RESULT OF A RISING DIVORCE RATE IN RECENT YEARS, WILL THE GOVERNMENT INFORM THIS COUNCIL OF THE FOLLOWING:
/(A) WHAT SPECIFIC