EAC chairman says barring Care Team members from standing could be discriminatory and unfair
選管會主席稱倘禁關愛隊參選 或產生「反歧視及不公」
Former district councillors are closely connected with Care Teams, and if team members or captains choose to stand for election, this could raise the issue of using public funds to assist election campaigns. The Home Affairs Department earlier issued guidelines to Care Teams setting out rules during the election period. Any Care Team member who stands for election must immediately cease Care Team duties. At a press conference held by the Electoral Affairs Commission today, its chairman, Lok Kai-hong, said he saw no basis for obstructing Care Team members from standing. He said that if the commission issued guidelines barring Care Team members from standing, "would that be discriminatory and, instead, unfair to them?" He said it was difficult to say whether there was a problem with the situation, but the Home Affairs Department's guidelines were already sufficient.
前區議員與關愛隊息息相關，若隊員或隊長選擇參選，隨時涉及用公帑助選的問題。民政事務總署早前向關愛隊發指引，列出選舉期間的守則，任何關愛隊成員參選，須即時停止關愛隊工作。在今日選舉管理委員會記者會上，主席陸啟康指看不到阻撓關愛隊成員參選的理據，他認為若選管會制訂指引不准關愛隊參選，「會唔會係反歧視，對佢地反而唔公平？」他指難言事件有無問題，不過民政總署的指引已經足夠。