IACM accepts verdict over staging rally at public area

The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) expressed its acceptance towards the recent verdict of allowing a candidate group to stage a rally in a public area.
The Top Court released the verdict on Monday, specifying that Wong Kin Long, the fourth candidate of the seventh candidate group, has the right to stage rallies in public area for campaigning.
The Court slammed IACM that it has no reason for not approving Wong because of his position as a candidate, given that staging a rally is considered a way of campaigning and it should be initiated by candidates themselves or by candidate supporters.
‘The Court would not rule on the recent and almost undecipherable claims made by the defendant,’ the Court wrote in the verdict.
Earlier, IACM had disapproved Wong’s request of staging a rally at a public area because of his candidate position, with Wong turning in an appeal to the city’s Top Court on September 5.
IACM cited the Electoral Law in its statement that the Electoral Commission had arranged for the distribution of 19 venues and public areas for the campaign via an open lucky draw, and candidates are forbidden to rearrange or use any venues in collaboration with other candidate groups.