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Friday March 29, 2024

ECP issues fresh code of conduct for upcoming LB polls

Political parties, their candidates asked to openly condemn violence, terrorism during campaign; wall-chalking, ads and use of loudspeakers banned; poll campaign expense limit for a candidate fixed at Rs200,000; use of foul language to damage reputation of individual barred; 420m ballot papers to be printed

By our correspondents
April 02, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday issued a slightly-amended code of conduct for the upcoming local bodies polls in the cantonment boards on April 25.
Political parties and their candidates during campaign will openly condemn violence and menace of terrorism. The code has been issued after discarding the earlier document, released on March 20 this year and the ECP wished that political parties and their candidates and
supporters would strictly abide by it.
The ECP met here under Chief Election Commissioner Justice ® Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan and reviewed the local bodies polls-related matters and issued a set of directions for political parties on how to allot tickets to the candidates to avoid any complication.
The ECP took strong exception to the transfer of an assistant commissioner Jhelum Cantt, who is also assistant returning officer with regards to the upcoming polls in cantonment boards and asked the Punjab chief secretary to reverse the transfer and submit a report thereon, as to who and why the official was transferred after the issuance of schedule for the electoral exercise.
According to the code of conduct, political parties and their candidates will in no way, express views or take step that in any manner, may be against the ideology of Pakistan, its stability or sovereignty or which may undermine the judiciary’s independence or hurt the judiciary or the armed forces’ reputation or an aspect of their ridicule could be traced therein.
The ECP said that political parties and their candidates would strictly follow the related laws, rules and regulations, and directions to be issued from time to time by it.
The code envisaged that political parties and their candidates would follow the Constitution and the laws with regards to the rights and independence of Pakistani citizens and safeguard them and would desist from any step that might encourage crimes like bribing a voter or intimidating him or her or bar him or her from voting or try to pose as voter.
The ECP, through the code, also made it clear that no one would be allowed to convince a voter within 200 metres of a polling station or stop him or her from casting a vote. The code also barred parties, candidates and their supporters from inciting violence during campaign or using force.
The code said that no one would speak against any gathering or meeting or incite someone for violence during polling. During campaign or polling, no one in no way, would harm anyone or his property.
Political parties, their candidates or supporters, according to the code, would not make use of any government official’s position or status to make their campaign effective or create hurdles in the way of others’ campaign. Likewise, political parties, candidates and supporters would also in no way, damage ballot papers or temper with them or remove official signs from them.
No party, contesting candidate or supporter would hoist their flag on any government building unless, permission would be given in writing and dues paid, if demanded: during campaign, wall-chalking or ads would not be allowed; loud speakers would be used only during corner meetings. The allowed size of a poster is 3x2 feet and banner 9x3 feet while hoarding of any kind would not be allowed. Poll campaign expense limit for a candidate is fixed at Rs2,00000.
The code said that political parties, candidates and their supporters would not be permitted to oppose any individual from taking part in the electoral process on the basis of religion, caste or ethnicity.
Similarly, parties and their candidates would desist from damaging reputation of any individual through baseless propaganda and foul language would also not be allowed to be used during campaign.
The federal, provincial or local governments, the code noted, would not give ads in newspapers or other media outlets using official resources.
The ECP made progress towards tackling the gigantic task of printing of over 420 million ballot papers for the local bodies polls, as the Printing Corporation of Pakistan held out an assurance of printing 330 million ballot papers in 22 days while for the printing of another 90 million, a committee was formed under Additional Secretary of ECP Syed Sher Afgan.For the conduct of local bodies polls in Punjab and Sindh, a total of over 420 million ballot papers would be required.
To avoid complications at the time of allotment of election symbols by returning officers to their candidates, the ECP also issued certain directions that included that a party head of each party may consider the authorisation of a party office-bearer in each province to issue party ticket to candidates for cantonment boards, falling in that province on behalf of political party head for allotment of symbol by returning officers.
The ECP noted that party tickets already allotted by authorised persons, as suggested in the directions, may not be recalled or cancelled and that care may be taken that against one seat only one party ticket is issued, which may contain name, parentage and CNIC number of a candidate.
In the light of the Lahore High Court decision regarding allotment of election symbols, the ECP also directed that a contesting candidate, aspiring for an election symbol, shall submit before returning officer, a certificate on party letter duly signed by the party head or a person duly authorised by him under intimation to the provincial election commission latest by April 8.
The ECP has issued election symbols to as many as 164 parties, of these, 147 were issued before the 2013 general election.