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RCMP investigates vote-buying claims
Published 12:11 PDT, Wed October 17, 2018
Last Updated: 2:12 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021
Richmond Mounties are investigating
allegations of vote-buying circulating on the popular Chinese social-media
service WeChat.
According to a posting on a WeChat group,
voters will receive a “transportation reimbursement” of $20, and are urged to
support all Asian candidates and focus in particular on Richmond, Burnaby and
Vancouver candidates for council and mayor.
Three candidates in Richmond are named:
mayoralty candidate Hong Guo, as well as council candidates Peter Liu, Melissa
Shang (which could be a reference to Melissa Zhang) and Zhe Zhang.
The posting, written in simplified Chinese,
is made by Wenzhou Association, which urges people to “actively participate in
the municipal election voting.”
According to a press release from the
Richmond Community Coalition, candidates Chak Au and Melissa Zhang reached out
to the RCMP, which subsequently launched an investigation.
Rob Howard, president of the coalition, said
his party is “not endorsing Hong Guo for mayor and…we do not support any lists
that advocate Chinese-only candidates.
“Richmond Community Coalition will formally
demand all Chinese Activist Groups stop associating RCC’s Chinese candidates
names with any group that is actively lobbying for voters to mark their ballots
for only Chinese candidates.”
RCMP Cpl. Dennis Hwang is encouraging anybody
who has been approached with enticements for voting to call them directly.
“Two allegations originating from the social
media app WeChat are being examined,” Hwang said Thursday.
Anyone with information is urged to contact
Cpl. W. Howard of the Richmond RCMP Serious Crimes Unit at 604-278-1212 or
email Richmond_Tips@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Buying votes is illegal.
The Local Government Act of British Columbia
says vote buying “includes money, gift, valuable consideration, refreshment,
entertainment, office, placement, employment and any other benefit of any kind.”
Violations of the act are punishable with
fines of up to $10,000, and up to two years in prison, among other sanctions.
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