Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) (Parliamentary Election Meetings) Rules

Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act

(Chapter 184, Section 5(1))

Miscellaneous Offences
(Public Order and Nuisance)
(PARLIAMENTARY Election Meetings) Rules

R 2

G.N. No. S 251/1989

REVISED EDITION 1990

(25th March 1992)

[9th June 1989]

Citation

1. These Rules may be cited as the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) (Parliamentary Election Meetings) Rules.

Application

2. These Rules shall apply to any assembly of 5 or more persons in any electoral division held between the day of nomination and the day before polling day (both days inclusive) and which is organised by a candidate nominated in accordance with the provisions of the Parliamentary Elections Act for election as a Member of Parliament or by his election agent (referred to in these Rules as an election meeting).

Prohibition of election meeting without permit

3.—(1) No person shall hold or assist in holding any election meeting in any public road, public place or place of public resort —

(a)	without a permit; or
(b)	in contravention of any condition of a permit specified in rule 5(1) or imposed under rule 5(2).

(2) Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —

(a)	in the case of an offence under paragraph (1)(a) — to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to both; or
(b)	in the case of an offence under paragraph (1)(b) — to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month or to both.

Grant of permit

4.—(1) A permit to hold an election meeting may be granted by —

(a)	a Deputy Commissioner of Police;
(b)	the officer-in-charge of the Police Division in which the election meeting is intended to be held; or
(c)	the Police Liaison Officer (Elections).

(2) An application for a permit to hold an election meeting shall —

(a)	contain particulars of the date, time and place of the election meeting; and
(b)	be made in writing by the candidate or by his election agent not later than 2.30 p.m. on the day prior to that fixed for the election meeting or, if the election meeting is to be held on a Monday, not later than 2.30 p.m. on the Saturday immediately before that day.

Conditions

5.—(1) A permit granted under these Rules shall be subject to the following conditions:

(a)

the election meeting shall not cause any obstruction to the free passage of persons or vehicular traffic on any road or street;

(b)

the election meeting shall be held only between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.;

(c)

where it is intended to hold an election meeting in any park, open space which is State land or a public car park, on any road, or on any land vested in or under the control of a statutory board or body, the previous consent in writing of —

(i)	the National Parks Board;
(ii)	the Commissioner of Lands;
(iii)	the Superintendent of the Car Parks Division;
(iv)	the Senior Executive Engineer (Roads) of the Public Works Department; or
(v)	the statutory board or body,

as the case may be, shall be obtained;

(d)

the person to whom the permit is granted shall be present throughout the election meeting;

(e)

there shall be no procession to or from the place of the election meeting;

(f)

no form of public entertainment shall be provided before, during and after the election meeting; and

(g)

the organisers of and the speakers at the election meeting shall not use indecent, threatening or abusive words or documents with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.

(2) Without prejudice to paragraph (1), the Deputy Commissioner of Police or the police officer granting the permit may impose such additional conditions as he thinks fit.

Presence of police officers

6.—(1) Police officers may be present at any election meeting to maintain order and if in the opinion of the most senior police officer present a breach of the peace is likely to occur, the police officer may order the termination of the election meeting and the person to whom the permit is granted shall thereupon immediately declare the meeting closed and ensure that those attending the election meeting leave quietly and peacefully.

(2) A police officer may record the proceedings of an election meeting by means of tape recorders.

[G.N. No. S 251/89]

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