Code of Conduct for local bodies polls

The Election Commission on Wednesday issued a 28-point Code of Conduct for the contesting candidates in local bodies election, and barred federal and provincial ministers from using their positions in election campaign.
Federal and provincial ministers, ministers of state, advisors, and chairmen of standing committees have been restricted from using official vehicles or party flag, or announcing any development project in their election campaign.
The code of conduct was finalised in a meeting of election commission on July 12-13 with Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar in the chair.
The election commission has also fixed a limit on election expenditure by allowing Rs 200,000 to Rs 500,000 spending on District Nazim campaign, Rs 150,000 to 300,000 on Tehsil/Town Nazim, Rs 100,000 on Union Nazim and Union Naib Nazim and Rs 50,000 for women, labour, farmer and special seats.
The election commission has included Section 152 (s) of Local Bodies Ordinance 2001 for holding election on non-party basis and barred contesting candidates from using platform of any political, religious, communal or regional party or flag in the election campaign.
CANDIDATES WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO:
-- establish election camp on roads or footpaths,
-- carry out procession of buses, truck and other vehicles including torch-bearing processions in support of any candidate.
The election commission warned that strict action would be taken against those candidates and their supporters who are found involved in violence in the election.
Candidates are allowed to organise corner meetings, which means a small gathering of people to announce program for the welfare of their area. They have been allowed to use loudspeakers during the address.
However, the candidates would not be allowed to organise any corner meeting in a religious place, for instance, mosques, imam bargahs, temples and other places.
No one would be allowed to carry weapons in the corner meetings, and contesting candidate is bound to respect and implement all the directives of the government in this connection.
The election commission sought the help of all contesting candidates in implementation of the code of conduct to ensure free, fair and transparent local bodies election.
Secretary, Election Commission, Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, said that EC would closely watch the whole process of the election and take all necessary steps to ensure implementation of the Code of Conduct in letter and spirit.