The People's Action Party has been accused of putting up posters this 2020 General Election campaigning season that do not bear the official stamp issued by the Returning Officer.

This accusation was levelled at the PAP in a Facebook post by Williamson Lee, a Singapore People's Party candidate.

Lee wrote that he had seen multiple PAP posters in the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC where he is contesting with his team that are without the stamp.

Lee wrote in his post:

Every poster and banner put up must have a sticker accompanying it. This sticker is one that is issued by ELD and can only be collected after nomination.

The purpose of this sticker is to limit the number of posters and banners one can put up so as to try and level the playing field. If one is allowed to put up banners without stickers, then of course they can "flood" the GRC with an seemingly unlimited number of posters.

According to the Elections Department Singapore, the official stamp issued by the Returning Officer is necessary.

ELD wrote in their campaigning rules: "All posters and banners displayed must bear the official stamp issued by the Returning Officer."

The stamp is needed to cap the total number of posters put up by one party in each constituency.

Mothership has reached out to ELD for comment

What is official stamp by Returning Officer?

The official stamp by the Returning Officer is visible on posters put up during the GE campaigning period.

This is what it traditionally looks like:

In the current GE2020, posters are marked by a brown stamp:

The posters put up by PAP in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC apparently lacks the stamp by the Returning Officer:

Rules governing the quantity of posters and banners a political party can put up can be found in the latest candidate handbook for general election issued by ELD.

According to the document, it wrote:

At the end of nomination proceedings, the Returning Officer will issue to the candidate or his election agent a permit authorising the display of posters and banners in public places within the electoral division where the candidate is contesting in.

Posters and banners may take the form of a small or large printed election advertising.

The permit will specify the maximum number and size of small and large printed election advertising (whether in the form of a poster or a banner) allowed to be displayed in public places within the electoral division and may contain certain conditions restricting the type of printed election advertising authorised to be displayed, and the place at and manner in which they may be displayed.

The formulae to compute the maximum number of small and large printed election advertising is as follows:

Number of small printed election advertising allowed:

1 small printed election advertising to every 50 electors in the register (rounded to nearest 100)

Subject to minimum of:

• 500 per SMC

• 2,000 per 4-MP GRC

• 2,500 per 5-MP GRC

Top photo via Williamson Lee