COPE, ABC Clash Over Chinatown Voting Offer

Vancouver’ Coalition of Progressive Electors is alleging a supporter of rival party A Better City Vancouver improperly influenced seniors’ votes.

The claim stems from a series of actions by Catherine Kwan, property manager of the Sun Wah Centre mall in Chinatown. On Tuesday, Kwan handed out flyers urging tenants of the Sun Wah Centre to vote for A Better City Vancouver, better known as ABC.

She also circulated flyers to senior citizens around the centre offering transportation to a voting station and refreshments for people with “I voted” stickers.

The Coalition of Progressive Electors, or COPE, alleges Kwan’s actions are an electoral offence under the Vancouver Charter, which prohibits people from offering refreshments to encourage others to vote for a specific candidate.

But Kwan has a different story. Kwan did not deny she supported the party, but she told The Tyee in an email that her personal flyer to tenants was independent from the seniors transportation initiative, which was organized by Sun Wah Centre.

“We did not take any political position, endorse any political party, or encourage voters to support any particular candidate or party,” Kwan said about the seniors initiative.

“Our purpose was simply to encourage more citizens, especially those living in the Chinatown area, to come out and vote.”

She added she had been in contact with the Vancouver Elections Office — a city-run office that opens for civic election periods — and followed their advice to cover up the part of the poster about refreshments. But a Sun Wah business tenant, who The Tyee agreed to keep anonymous for fear of retribution, said the culmination of all of Kwan’s actions felt like it crossed a line.

“It’s obviously very wrong what they’re trying to do,” they said. “We do want people to go vote, but not in this way.”

The tenant is not affiliated with either of the political parties. ABC did not respond to requests for comment.

Jason Twa, Chief Election Officer for the City of Vancouver, said in an email his office does not comment on specific allegations and the city does not have jurisdiction to prosecute Vancouver Charter offences.

According to Twa, under section 123 of the Vancouver Charter, it is an offence to offer an inducement, such as money, gifts, food or entertainment, to a person to vote, not to vote, or to vote for or against a particular candidate.

On Tuesday, Kwan handed out a package of documents urging Sun Wah Centre tenants to support Mayor Ken Sim and ABC in the upcoming election. The package, obtained by The Tyee, included two versions: one in English and one in Mandarin.

The two-page (double-sided) English-language version starts with a disclaimer that the views expressed in the pamphlet were Kwan’s personal perspective, and does not represent the views of Sun Wah Centre.

In English, Kwan wrote that under ABC, police have been more responsive and active in Chinatown, and has meant more first responders have been able to respond during overdoses.

“Previous places place too much emphasis on tolerating public drug use without enough consideration for businesses and neighbourhood safety,” she wrote.

She also said she supported ABC’s zero per cent property tax increase policy, and how they organized FIFA celebrations in Vancouver

“If your experience has also been that Vancouver is moving in a better direction under Ken Sim and ABC, please exercise your right to vote and encourage eligible family members and friends to do the same,” she wrote.

The Mandarin-language version was slightly different. The Tyee is using COPE’s translation of the document, but confirmed its accuracy by asking an independent translator to review the documents.

“Help. Behind in the polls by 15 per cent,” it said. “Sun Wah Centre urges everyone to vote ABC for re-election.”

Kwan also separately circulated a flyer, in-person and on messaging app WeChat, advertising transportation to advance voting stations between 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 7. The flyer said refreshments would be available afterwards, and asked seniors to wear the “I voted” stickers.

Some of the flyers included a small card that listed out the ABC candidate numbers.

Kwan said the refreshments were customary for group gatherings.

“In the Chinese community tradition, it is common for refreshments and beverages to be provided when people gather to discuss and share their experiences about a common subject or community issue,” Kwan said.

“We did not make transportation, refreshments, or participation in the gathering conditional on supporting any political party or candidate.”

But COPE city council candidate Solomon Yi-Kieran sees it differently. In a press release Wednesday, the party said the voting initiative violated the section of the Vancouver Charter concerning “vote buying.”

"According to the Charter, you cannot reward people for voting, even without an endorsement," they said in a press release. "But in this case, Sun Wah tenants are being encouraged to vote ABC."

The clash came to a head on Wednesday, when Yi-Kieran went to Sun Wah Centre. They said they saw seniors climbing into a black Mercedes Sprinter van. Yi-Kieran tried to hand out their own Chinese-language handbills.

According to a translator, Yi-Kieran’s flyers referenced a civil defamation claim COPE councillor Sean Orr launched against Mayor Sim, and said COPE had more effective solutions for housing issues, crime and drug use than ABC. They also included the ballot numbers for COPE’s candidates.

“Over the past four years, Ken Sim has made many empty promises,” a translated version of the flyer said. “We urge you: Do not vote for Ken Sim or the ABC Party.”

But Yi-Kieran said volunteers organizing the shuttle took COPE flyers away from the seniors.

“Organizers of the voting caravan ripped them from the hands of the seniors to prevent them from reading it,” they said.

Kwan saw it differently.

“This individual got on the bus and scared the seniors and made them give up their voting rights,” Kwan said in an email.

Later that day, Kwan said she got in contact with the City of Vancouver Elections Office, who advised her to remove or cover up the part of the poster about food being provided. She says she immediately complied.

An Elections BC spokesperson said in an email it does not have a role in regulating code-of-conduct issues for local governments.

“For questions about the administration of local elections and local government issues, please contact the local jurisdiction directly,” they said.

Twa, with the Vancouver elections office, said it is up to the province to enforce the Vancouver Charter.