Life and Society
Module 4: Clean Elections
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
API on Clean Election
‘Clean Legislative Council Election – Vote for a clean election, vote
for a better Hong Kong’ :
http://www.ichannel.icac.hk/tc/categorylist.aspx?type=8
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
API on Clean Election
1. What scenario in the video is used as an analogy
for bribery in election?
Using singing competition as an analogy, the video
describes how a bad singer can still win through
‘buying votes’ from the audience. This is similar to
bribery in elections.
2. What is the key message delivered by the video?
Bribery will jeopardize the fairness of elections as
well as the credibility of councils. The future of
Hong Kong will also be at stake if dishonest
candidates are elected through such illegal means.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Analysis of Election Scenarios Group Discussion & Presentation
• Discuss whether the acts in the scenarios
are acceptable.
• Compile statistics of group members’ views
and write down the reasons behind.
• One representative from each group to give
presentation after group discussion.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Scenario 1
A candidate, Mr CHAN, organises and sponsors a local boat trip
for electors of his constituency during the election period. During
the tour, Mr CHAN publicises his election platform and calls upon
the participants to vote for him.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Scenario 2
A candidate, Miss LI, attends an annual dinner held by a district
organisation. During the dinner, she appeals support from the
participants, saying that the dinner will be partially sponsored by
her as a token of appreciation for electors’ support.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Scenario 3
A company owner, Mr WONG, comes to know that a major client
of his company has decided to run for the District Council Election
of a certain district. In order to please the client, Mr WONG hints
to his employees residing in the district that they should vote for
the client so as to secure their employment.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Scenario 4
A good friend of Miss CHEUNG stands as a candidate in the
District Council Election, but Miss CHEUNG is not residing in the
constituency which her friend competes for a seat. In order to
support her friend, Miss CHEUNG uses a relative’s address in her
application for voter registration even though she is not living there
and later votes at the election in the said constituency.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Scenario 5
A candidate, Mr CHOW, is studying for a Master’s Degree and will
graduate soon. To solicit electors’ support, he claims in his
election advertisement that he has already been awarded the
qualification.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Analysis of Election Scenarios –
Scenario 1
• A candidate, Mr CHAN, organises and sponsors a
local boat trip for electors of his constituency during
the election period.
Unacceptable!
• Offering advantages (sponsoring the boat trip) to
bribe electors violates the principle of fairness.
• The candidate would commit an offence if the
purpose of his offering an advantage is to induce the
electors to vote for him.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Analysis of Election Scenarios –
Scenario 2
• A candidate, Miss LI, appeals support from the
participants during a dinner and sponsors part of
the dinner expenses.
Unacceptable!
• Offering food, drink or entertainment to bribe
electors violates the principle of fairness.
• It is an offence if a person, whether by himself or
through any other persons, provides food, drink or
entertainment with a view to influencing other
people’s voting decision.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Analysis of Election Scenarios –
Scenario 3
• A company owner, Mr WONG, requests his
employees to vote for a client and hints that they can
secure their employment by doing so.
Unacceptable!
• The use of force or duress against electors to
influence their voting decision violates the principle of
fairness. Electors’ freedom of choice is also restricted.
• It is an offence if a person uses force or duress
against another person with a view to influencing his /
her voting decision.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Analysis of Election Scenarios –
Scenario 4
• Miss CHEUNG uses a relative’s address in her
voter registration and later votes at the election in
the said constituency.
Unacceptable!
• The use of false information in elections is a
dishonest act.
• It is unfair if electors not belonging to the
constituency can cast a vote.
• It is an offence if a person gives false information
to the electoral officer for voter registration and
subsequently votes at an election.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Analysis of Election Scenarios –
Scenario 5
• Mr CHOW is studying for a Master’s Degree but claims in his
election advertisement that he has already been awarded the
qualification.
Unacceptable!
• The publication of false information in election advertisement is a
dishonest act. It also deprives electors of true information for
selecting the suitable candidate(s).
• As Mr CHOW has not yet completed the programme, claiming
himself having a Master’s Degree qualification in the election
advertisement is a false statement of fact about a candidate. It is an
offence if a person publishes materially false statement of fact about
a candidate for the purpose of promoting his / her election.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Analysis of Election Scenarios
• Enforced by the ICAC, the Elections (Corrupt and
Illegal Conduct) Ordinance aims at upholding clean
elections.
• The acts described in these scenarios are electoral
malpractices which undermine the fairness of
elections. The person who commits such act may
even have contravened the law.
• The maximum penalty for corrupt conduct at an
election is seven years’ imprisonment and a fine of
HK$500,000.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Information from an Opinion Survey
Hong Kong Residents’ Perception on the
Fairness of LegCo Elections
• A survey was conducted by local academics in September to
December 2007 to collect Hong Kong residents’ views on political
values, democracy and the Administration’s governance in Hong
Kong.
• Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 814 Hong Kong
Chinese aged 18 or above who were randomly sampled based on the
information provided by the Census and Statistical Department.
• Respondents who were registered voters in the 2004 Legislative
Council (LegCo) election were asked the question: ‘Do you think the
process of the last (2004) LegCo election is fair?’
Source: Ma Ngok and Kin-man Chan, “The State of Democratic Governance in Hong Kong”
(A paper presented in An Asian Barometer Conference on the State of Democratic
Governance in Asia, 2008)
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Information from an Opinion Survey
Hong Kong Residents’ Perception on the
Fairness of LegCo Elections
Among the 479 respondents to the above question :
Percentage
Very fair
12.7%
Basically fair but with minor problems
53.9%
Fair but with major problems
9.8%
Unfair
3.1%
I don’t know / No comments
20.5%
TOTAL:
100%
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Class Survey
Do you think the process of the last LegCo election is fair?
No. of Students
Percentage
Very fair
%
Basically fair but with minor problems
%
Fair but with major problems
%
Unfair
%
I don’t know / No comments
%
TOTAL:
100%
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Group Discussion and Presentation
• Judging from the above information and as far as
you know, were the LegCo Elections in Hong Kong
fair and clean? Please explain.
• What is the impact of electoral malpractices on
individuals and the society?
One representative from each group to give
presentation after group discussion.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Impact of Electoral Malpractices on
Individuals and the Society
• Compromising one’s values such as fairness and
honesty.
• Possible violation of the rules resulting in serious
consequences.
• Impairing fairness and justice of elections, undermining
the electoral system and the council’s credibility, and
bringing adverse effect to both the council’s operation
and the Administration’s governance.
• The livelihood of people and political development will
be at stake if dishonest candidates are elected through
such illegal means.
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Extended Activity
Upholding Clean Elections
Questions for Discussion：
1. How does the ICAC uphold clean elections through
the three-pronged approach: law enforcement,
prevention and education?
2. Explain briefly the work of Electoral Affairs
Commission (EAC) and how they ensure that public
elections are conducted openly, fairly and honestly.
3. Apart from the set up of laws and regulations, as well
as the efforts of law enforcing agencies, what other
factors are important in ensuring the fairness of public
elections?
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC
Extended Activity
Upholding Clean Elections
Browse through the following websites to collect
information:
ICAC websites on elections
http://www.icac.org.hk/elections
Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) website
http://www.eac.gov.hk
Youth and Moral Education Office, ICAC