Parties have agreed with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure free and fair general elections in April.
The 63 parties have promised not to hijack ballot boxes or undermine the elections in any manner.
The parties, which are barred from announcing election results other than those published by INEC, approved a clause-by-clause Code of Conduct 2011 in Calabar on Saturday. They are likely to sign the bond on March 8.
The INEC management, led by it chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, met with chairmen of all the parties to review and endorse the final draft of the Code.
The Code of Conduct, which The Nation obtained from a National Chairman of one of the parties, includes regulations on Rule of Law, Campaign, Election Day issues, Post-Election issues, Party Finance and Implementation as well as Monitoring of Compliance with the Code.
Some of the key issues in the Code are non-use of public resources for party activities and equal and equitable access to public–owned print and electronic media.
Forbidden are inflammatory languages, provocative actions, images or manifestations that incite violence; use of thugs or weapons; and destruction of bill boards by parties. Besides, INEC is to monitor rallies.
An Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) is expected to be established to serve as ombudsman whenever there is any breach of the code.
The code reads in part: “Political parties and their agents shall not engage in any of the following corrupt practices:
•forcible occupation or invasion of a polling station, collation centre and INEC office
•encouraging supporter(s) to cast more than one vote;
•encouraging supporter(s) to vote in the name of another person, living, dead or fictitious; and
•buying votes or offering any bribe, gift, reward, gratification or any other monetary or material consideration of allurement to voters and electoral officers.
“Political parties shall refrain from fraudulently procuring results and votes by invasion and forcible occupation of polling centres, the manipulation of ballot boxes, result sheets or by any unlawful means.
“No political party, candidate, agent shall cause to be published or displayed by the electronic and print media such unofficial or fraudulent results, except those published or announced by INEC.
“Political parties, their candidates and agents shall respect the law restricting access of unauthorized persons to polling stations, collation centres, and discourage undue interference with the voting process.
“Every party shall instruct its members and supporters that no weapon or any object that can be used to cause injury shall be brought to the polling station, and that no party attire, colours, symbols, emblems or other insignia shall be worn to a polling station on Election Day.
“Political parties shall recognise and acknowledge the rights of accredited observers and monitors at polling stations for the purpose of observing the conduct of elections.
“Political parties, their candidates and members shall cooperate with law enforcement agents to ensure the safety and security of election materials, election officials, party agents and the electorate on Election Day.
“Political parties, having freely subscribed to this code, shall: be bound by this code; take decisive steps to prohibit leaders, officials, candidates and members from infringing upon this code.”
On campaign, the Code advises all parties to be cautious and avoid violence.
It adds: “No political party or candidate shall use its power of incumbency to prevent other parties or candidates from pasting their posters or distributing their leaflets, handbills and other publicity materials in public places.
“All political parties shall take all necessary steps to co-ordinate their campaign activities in such a way as to avoid holding rallies, meetings, marches or demonstrations close to one another at the same time.
“All parties shall file with the commission details of their public rallies and meetings in any particular are a prior to such meeting.
“All parties shall separate party business from government business. As such, parties shall not utilise public resources for party activities and shall not permit any of its sponsored candidates holding public office to use public resources for the purpose of political campaigning in elections.”
Of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) which is to serve as ombudsman whenever there is any breach of the code.
The code says: “There shall be a standing Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) whose duties shall include the consideration of any breach of the provisions of this code and political parties shall to all intent and purposes subscribe to its adjudication on disputes.
“IPAC shall perform the under listed functions:
•observe and monitor the implementation of the Code of Conduct
•identify, investigate and sanction violation of the code of conduct by any political party;
•receive complaints and investigate the veracity of claims and impose appropriate sanctions;
•resolve dispute between two or more political parties arising from misunderstanding and /or beach of the Code of Conduct; and
•recommend to INEC appropriate sanctions on erring party, candidate and/or agent.
This is the second time (2007 and 2011) that parties have subscribed to a Code of Conduct.
Jega noted in the foreword to the code that it had been unfortunate that parties were breaching the guidelines.
Notwithstanding, the INEC chairman said the Political Parties Code of Conduct 2011 “aims at building a consensus around certain vital planks among which are respect for the Rule of Law; clear definition of acceptable conduct before, during and after elections; and compliance with regulations on party finance”.
Jega added: “This is not the first time INEC and political parties have created a code of conduct. In the past, however, there was inadequate respect for the provisions of the code and there was not an effective compliance monitoring mechanism.
“While the Code is voluntary, it is important that parties to it honour their commitments in the true spirit of democratic practice.
“I hope that in the near future, the political parties and all stakeholders will develop effective compliance and monitoring mechanisms to be annexed to the Code of Conduct.”