‘Code of conduct’ unveiled by ECP: Country moves a step closer to general election

ISLAMABAD: Faced with strong criticism from majority of mainstream political parties over its alleged failure in ensuring them a level playing field in the wake of upcoming general elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) now expects from general public to assist it for providing peaceful and level playing field to all the political parties and contesting candidates.

“The general public is also expected to assist the election commission for effective implementation of code of conduct and violation of any aforesaid provisions, if any, may be brought to the notice of Election Commission of Pakistan for providing peaceful and level playing field to all the political parties and contesting candidates,” states the code of conduct for political parties issued by the ECP on Wednesday.

According to the electoral entity, the code of conduct has been formulated in consultation with the political parties under Section 233(1) of the Elections Act 2017. This law provides that the commission shall, in consultation with political parties, frame a code of conduct for political parties, contesting candidates, election agents and polling agents.

Presently, ECP is faced with mounting criticism from mainstream political parties including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Awami National Party (ANP) over alleged denial of level playing field to them.

The ECP code of conduct bars the president, members of the caretaker set-ups (at both federal and provincial levels), chairman/deputy chairman Senate, speakers/deputy speakers of the assemblies, governors of provinces, and mayors/chairmen/Nazims and their deputies from participating in any general elections campaign.

However, senators and members of local governments (other than mayors/Nazims and their deputies) are allowed to participate in the general election campaigns.

Furthermore, the speakers, deputy speakers of the assemblies and office-bearers of local governments are allowed to participate in the election campaigns in the constituencies they are contesting the general polls from, without using official protocol/resources for running the election campaigns. They are not allowed to announce any development scheme during the related election campaigns, according to the code of conduct.

The code also bars political parties, candidates, their supporters, caretaker governments/local governments’ functionaries or elected representatives, from announcing or inaugurating, “openly or in secret” their overall development schemes or development work or do anything which tends to influence the results of an election in favour of or against a particular candidate or political party.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023