The direct and indirect legislative elections will take place on September 17 while the official campaign period runs from last Saturday to next Friday.
Speaking to reporters after a regular meeting of the government-appointed committee at the Public Administration Building in Rua do Campo, Tong, a judge by profession, said his committee had received a number of complaints related to “four or five” electoral groups advertising on Facebook.
Citing the Legislative Assembly Election Law, Tong said candidates were not allowed to carry out any commercial advertising campaign activities.
The committee contacted Facebook earlier yesterday, Tong said, adding the company told the committee that it would fully cooperate.
According to Tong, the committee has told the groups involved to stop “boosting” their posts and remove their paid advertisements from Facebook.
According to the law, any media organisation or advertising company which publishes political advertisements after the government has gazetted the date of the election faces a fine from 5,000 to 50,000 patacas.
Asked by a reporter if his committee will only tell the candidates not to advertise on Facebook, or whether they will be penalised, Tong merely said it was what the law required.
Tong also said his committee has been informed that some posters which certain electoral groups put up at the officially approved locales were removed. He said the police had been to the locales on Tuesday, adding that, after a preliminary investigation, the police believe that most of the posters were pasted on the boards with glue or double-sided tape, and that the posters fell off the boards because of the torrential rain over the last few days.
According to Tong, the police will continue to follow up on the issue. Tong also said it was illegal to remove or destroy publicly displayed election posters during the campaign period on purpose.
Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Committee (CAEAL) President Tong Hio Fong (front) speaks to reporters yesterday after a regular meeting of the government-appointed committee, as fellow committee member Jose Fonseca Tavares (right) looks on, at the Public Administration Building in Rua do Campo. Photo: Debby Seng
