ECP guidelines: Poll supervisory body issues final code of conduct

Releases document after consulting political parties; strict guidelines incorporated to conduct polls in fair manner.

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued on Tuesday a final election code of conduct for the upcoming general elections, aimed at holding them in a free and fair environment.

Public functionaries, including the president, prime minister and other public office holders, cannot participate in the campaigns in any manner and this rule will also be applicable to the caretaker government set-up.

Political parties and candidates will be allowed to hold public rallies and processions only at the place or places through the routes specified for the purpose. They will have to convey their schedule of public rallies at least three days in advance.

According to the another code, political parties and candidates cannot propagate any opinion, or act in any manner prejudicial to the ideology of Pakistan, the sovereignty, integrity, security of the country, the integrity or independence of the judiciary of Pakistan, or which defames or brings into ridicule the judiciary or the Armed Forces of Pakistan, as provided under Article 63 of the Constitution. All parties and candidates will be expected to abide by all the laws, rules, regulations and directions issued by the commission.



Another code in the document entails that contesting candidates and their supporters must scrupulously avoid all activities which are offences under the election laws, such as bribing voters, intimidation and impersonating, canvassing within 400 yards of a polling station.

Canvassing for votes, soliciting votes, persuading any elector not to vote at the election or for a particular candidate is prohibited within a radius of 400 yards of the polling station.

Exhibiting will also have strict limitations. Except with the permission of the returning officer and at a place reserved for the candidate or his election agent beyond the radius of 100 yards of the polling station, any notice, sign, banner or flag designed to encourage the electors to vote or discourage them from voting for any contesting candidate is prohibited.

Inciting or resorting to violence during meetings, processions, or during polling hours by contesting candidates and their supporters is also forbidden. Hoisting or fixing party flags on any public property will be permitted only in writing from local authorities.

Wall chalking as part of an election campaign has been prohibited in all forms and the use of loudspeakers has been banned for election campaigns, except at election meetings.

No person or a political party shall affix posters, hoardings or banners larger than the sizes prescribed by the ECP. The head of district administration or political agent and the district returning officer shall be responsible for the effective implementation of this provision.

Speeches calculated to arouse parochial and sectarian feelings and controversy of conflicts between genders, sects, communities and linguistic groups have been banned.

No agreement or understanding can be made to debar women from becoming candidates for an election and political parties will allow women to participate in the election process.

Permission will not be granted to set up camps near polling stations on polling day. However, the ECP will provide the Short Messaging Service facility to voters through which each voter can get the information on his or her serial number at the voter list and name and location of the polling station.

The amended code of conduct was made by the ECP after consultations with political parties and incorporating their suggestions, as required under Article 18 of the Political Parties Order 2002. The recommendations were also shared with the Senate special committee on elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2013.