Appendix XXXI
(Page1/6)
Press Release on Warning Issued by
the Complaints Committee
32 principals warned for breaching electoral guidelines
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The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:
The 32 principals of 37 primary schools and kindergartens run by Po Leung Kuk were warned by the Electoral Affairs Commission for breaching its Guidelines governing electioneering activities involving young pupils.
They were found having used their pupils as conduits to distribute an appeal letter to their parents soliciting votes for Mr Mak Kwai-po, a candidate of the Election Committee subsector elections held on July 9.
"The Commission strongly objects to principals and anybody in authority making use of young pupils under their charge to conduct electioneering activities. We hope that this message can be driven home loud and clear," a spokesman for the Commission said.
The Commission received several complaints after the elections about electioneering activities in some Po Leung Kuk schools breaching electoral rules.
Investigations revealed that the 32 principals of 37 Po Leung Kuk primary schools and kindergartens had distributed stereotyped letters through their pupils to their parents enlisting support for Mr Mak.
In their representations to the Commission, they stated that they had not deliberately violated electoral rules and some made the point that the letters had been issued in their personal capacity.
Notwithstanding their explanations, the Commission ruled that they had violated paragraph 12.4 of Chapter 12 of the Guidelines on Election-related Activities in respect of the 2000 Legislative Council Elections.
In May this year, the Commission sent Chapter 12 of the Guidelines to all the primary schools concerned.
Paragraph 12.4 states, "Distribution of election advertisements is a form of electioneering activity. There may be school supervisors, principals or teachers who may support a particular candidate or list of candidate(s) in a geographical constituency (GC). While they are free to support any candidate or any such list of candidate(s) (GC list) they prefer, they should not distribute or help distribution of election advertisements of any candidate or GC list to the parents of pre-primary, primary or secondary pupils using the pupils as conduits. Moreover, they must not ask such pupils to request their parents to vote for any particular candidate or GC list."
"The purpose of the Guidelines is to prevent anyone in authority in a school from using his position to exert undue influence on the pupils in his charge and to enlist them to participate in any electioneering activity," the spokesman said.
In another complaint case, the principal of the afternoon session of Po Leung Kuk Vicwood K.T. Chong No. 2 Primary School, Mr Chan Yuk-fai, was warned on August 4 for using his pupils as conduits to distribute election advertisements of Mr Mak to their parents.
The 16 principals of 17 primary schools and the 16 principals of 20 kindergartens being warned today are set out below:
Primary schoolPrincipal
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Po Leung Kuk C.F.A. No.1 Primary SchoolLo Lai Har
Po Leung Kuk Vicwood K.T. Chong No.2 Dung Kwong Ping
Primary School (A.M.)
Po Leung Kuk Mrs. Chan Nam Chong Lau Siu Ling
Memorial Primary School (A.M.)
Po Leung Kuk Mrs. Chan Nam Chong Lau Siu Ling
Memorial Primary School (P.M.)
Po Leung Kuk Siu Hon Sum Primary SchoolNg Chun Ping
Po Leung Kuk Chan Yat Primary Yan Yuen Yee
School (A.M.)
Po Leung Kuk Chan Yat Primary Ng Kit Ying
School (P.M.)
Po Leung Kuk Chee Jing Yin Primary Tang Chok Ping
School (A.M.)
Po Leung Kuk Chee Jing Yin Primary Tam Sheung Yue
School (P.M.)
Po Leung Kuk Fong Wong Kam Chuen Primary Chan Kam Chau
School (A.M.)
Po Leung Kuk Fong Wong Kam Chuen Primary Lo Suk Yu
School (P.M.)
Ex-Po Leung Kuk Chong Kee Ting Primary Yeung Veng Meng
School (A.M.)
Ex-Po Leung Kuk Chong Kee Ting Primary Wong Sang Ming
School (P.M.)
Po Leung Kuk Tin Ka Ping Primary Shiu Che Ying
School (A.M.)
Po Leung Kuk Camoes Tan Siu Lin Primary Yuen Lo Kam Lai
School
Po Leung Kuk Fung Ching Memorial PrimaryLam Heung Sing
School
Po Leung Kuk Wong Wing Shu Primary Tsang Bik Har
School
KindergartenPrincipal
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Po Leung Kuk Chong Shui Kit KindergartenFok Siu Fung
Po Leung Kuk Ng Tor Tai KindergartenLee Wai Ling
Po Leung Kuk Kam Hing KindergartenLee Wai Ling
Po Leung Kuk Tin Ka Ping Siu Hong Chan Lai Foon
Kindergarten
Po Leung Kuk Tong Chor Nam KindergartenChan Lai Foon
Po Leung Kuk Tang Bik Wan MemorialChung Siu Mei
Kindergarten
Po Lueng Kuk Tin Ka Ping KindergartenWan Kam Fong
Po Leung Kuk Fung Leung Kit Memorial Tam Mei Ying
Kindergarten
Po Leung Kuk Yick Chark Fung KindergartenLau Wai Kuen
Po Leung Kuk Mrs. Chao King LinLeung Yiu Yuk
Kindergarten
Po Leung Kuk Tai So Shiu Wan KindergartenLeung Yiu Yuk
Po Leung Kuk Ting Mau KindergartenSuen Wai Ha
Po Leung Kuk Cheung Poon Mei YeeSuen Wai Ha
Kindergarten
Po Leung Kuk Yick Kwai Fong KindergartenWong Yuk Ying
Po Leung Kuk Mrs. Vicwood Chong Kee Ting So Sau Chin
Kindergarten
Po Leung Kuk Chan Seng Yee KindergartenHui Fung Ping
Po Leung Kuk Li Tsui Chung Sing Memorial Ho Lan Sang
Kindergarten
Po Leung Kuk Fong Wong Woon TaiLam Fung Chun
Kindergarten
Po Leung Kuk Fong Wong Kam ChuenWong Hau Kuen
Kindergarten
Ex-Portuguese Community SchoolsLoh Ping Han
The spokesman stressed that this warning was directed at the 32 principals personally and that it should not be considered as affecting the schools and kindergartens, or the other staff, pupils, or parents of pupils of the schools and kindergartens concerned.
Friday, September 8, 2000