Our Correspondent
Kohima | April 30
In view of the upcoming ULB polls in Nagaland, the State Election Commission (SEC) has notified the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the guidance of political parties and candidates, which comes into operation with immediate effect. The poll is scheduled for June 26.
In the notification, the MCC stated that no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different tribes and communities, religious or linguistic groups.
Criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and programme, past record and work. Parties and candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspect of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties.
Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided.
There shall be no appeal to tribes or communal feelings for securing votes.
Mosques, Churches, Temples or other places of worship shall not be used as forum for election propaganda, it stated.
All parties and candidates shall scrupulously avoid all activities which are “corrupt practices” and offences as defined under section 52 of the Nagaland Municipal Act 2023.
The MCC stated that the right of every individual for peaceful and undisturbed home-life shall be respected however much the political parties or candidates may resent his/her political opinions or activities. Organizing demonstration or picketing before the houses of individuals by way of protesting against their opinions or activities shall not be resorted to under any circumstances.
No political party or candidate shall permit its or his/her followers to make use of any individual's land, building, compound wall etc. without their permission for erecting flag-staffs, suspending banners, pasting notices, writing slogans etc.
The political parties and candidates shall ensure that their supporters do not create obstructions in or break up meetings and processions organized by other parties. Workers or sympathizers of one political party shall not create disturbances at public meetings organized by other political party by putting questions orally or in writing by distributing leaflets of their own party.
The MCC stated that processions shall not be taken out by one party along places at which meetings are held by another party. Posters issued by one party shall not be removed by workers of another party.
The party or candidate shall inform the local police authorities of the venue and time of any proposed meeting well ahead in time so as to enable the police to make necessary arrangements for controlling traffic and maintaining peace and order.
A party or candidate shall ascertain in advance if there are any restrictive or prohibitory orders in force in the place proposed for the meeting. If such orders exist, they shall be followed strictly. If any exemption is required from such orders, it shall be applied for and obtained well in time.
Organizers of a meeting shall invariably seek the assistance of the police on duty for dealing with persons disturbing a meeting or otherwise attempting to create disorders.
A party or candidate organizing a procession shall decide beforehand the time and place of the starting of the procession, the route to be followed and the time and place at which the procession will terminate.
The organizers shall take steps in advance to arrange for passage of the procession so that there is no blockage or hindrance to traffic. Processions shall be so regulated as to keep as much to the right of the road as possible and the direction and advice of the police on duty shall be strictly complied with.
The political parties or candidates shall exercise control to the maximum extent possible in the matter of processionists carrying articles which may be put misuse by undesirable elements especially in moments of excitement.
The carrying of effigies purporting to represent members of other political parties or their leaders, burning of such effigies in public and such other forms of demonstration shall not be countenanced by any political party or candidate.
On Poling Day, all political parties and candidates shall co-operate with the officers on election duty to ensure peaceful and orderly polling and complete freedom to the voters to exercise their franchise without being subjected to any annoyance or obstruction.
Ensure that the identity slips supplied by them to voters shall be on plain (white) paper and shall not contain any symbol, name of the candidate or the name of the party.
Not serve or distribute liquor on polling day and also refrain from serving/distributing it during the period of 24 hours preceding it.
Not allow unnecessary crowd to be collected near the camps set up by the political parties and candidates near the polling booths so as to avoid confrontation and tension among workers and sympathizers of the parties and the candidate.
The MCC stated that the candidate's camps shall be simple. They shall not display any posters, flags, symbols or any other propaganda material. No eatable shall be served or crowd allowed at the camps.
The MCC also stated that issue of advertisement at the cost of public exchequer in the newspapers and other media and the misuse of official mass media during the election period for partisan coverage of political news and publicity regarding achievements with a view to furthering the prospects of the party in power shall be scrupulously avoided.
