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SCMP Reporter

Interviewers would have to register and agree to restrictions
People conducting exit polls in Hong Kong elections would have to first tell interviewees 'I am not from the government', and say who they work for, under proposed revisions by the elections watchdog.
The suggestions from the Electoral Affairs Commission, issued yesterday, come a week after Democratic legislators met its chairman, Pang Kin-kee.
They told him some organisations conducting exit polls in November's district council elections had leaked results which had helped candidates target their last-minute canvassing.
Those wishing to conduct exit polls would have to register in advance and sign an undertaking to abide by the proposed restrictions. The wording of the undertaking was not made public, however.
Lists of approved exit pollsters, and their telephone numbers, would also be published and put on display at polling stations.
The Democrats told Mr Pang, a judge, exit pollsters should be made to sign agreements that they would not publish, broadcast or disclose their results until voting has ended.
The commission's proposals, if adopted, would apply to September's Legislative Council election.
Pan-democrats doubted exit pollsters would follow the proposed restrictions without supervision, and urged they not only be banned from publishing results before polling stations closed but also banned from disclosing the results. But Mr Justice Pang seemed to suggest that they would be disappointed.
The commissioner was asked if the government would supervise exit pollsters' conduct on polling day. He said: 'The [commission]  is not a political institution or law enforcement body. We do not conduct active investigations.'
He said organisations which  breached the guidelines would be publicly reprimanded or censured.
The public has until April 23 to comment on the proposals before the commission finalises them.
Unionist legislator Lee Cheuk-yan  questioned whether having exit pollsters sign an agreement to comply with the proposed guidelines would stop leaks of their results.
'I doubt the statement would be strictly followed  without supervision,' he said. 'If it cannot stop leaking of poll results, the statement would remain a toothless tiger.'
Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan  said the government should not only restrict  the broadcasting or publication of exit poll results while voting was going on, but ban disclosure of results.
Ronny Tong Ka-wah,  of the Civic Party, also doubted the undertaking would stop exit pollsters  publishing their results before polling stations closed, since anyone who breached their signed undertaking to abide by the guideline on publication would only face condemnation afterwards.
Beijing loyalists had their own concerns. They called for guidelines involving the distribution of election supplements by the media.
The Chinese-language Apple Daily published a supplement carrying the headline 'Mrs Chan at a critical state' on the day of the December by-election for a vacant Legco seat on Hong Kong Island. It was seen as an attempt to sway voters towards casting their ballots for Anson Chan Fang On-sang,  who went on to win the poll. The Independent Commission Against Corruption is investigating its publication.
Lau Kong-wah,  a vice-chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, urged the government to release guidelines on such publications once the ICAC probe has closed.
The measures
Key proposed new guidelines on election activities
People or organisations intending to conduct exit polls must tell the Registration and Electoral Office at least 10 days before polling day
A list of those allowed to carry out exit polls, with their contact telephone numbers, will be released to the public and be displayed at polling stations
Those intending to conduct exit polls must  sign an undertaking to abide by guidelines governing the conduct of such polls
At the beginning of the interview, interviewers must  tell voters the name of their organisations, and state that the poll is not commissioned by the government
If voters find  SMS or telephone canvassing calls annoying, they should report them to police
No election bunting to be displayed on railings or public pavements



Watchdog unveils proposed rules for exit pollsters