Political parties have committed themselves and their members to playing fair in the upcoming Municipal Elections.
They did this on Monday when they signed the Electoral Code of Conduct at Independent Electoral Commission(IEC) headquarters in Midrand.
The code was signed by all 13 political parties represented in parliament. These political parties will be contesting the Municipal Elections later this year.
By signing the code, political parties were pledging to act in a manner that promotes free and fair elections without any form of intimidation.
Amongst other thing, the pledge commits political party leaders to lead their parties in a way that ensures tolerance and promotes the eradication of no-go areas. Chairperson of the IEC Glen Mashinini said, “The Electoral Act requires that the Code of Conduct must be subscribed to by all parties and candidates before they may be allowed to contest an election.
This ensures that all contestants are aware of the rules of the game before it is played. The purpose of the Code therefore is to ensure a level playing field.” The code of conduct is another measure put in place to ensure that elections are run smoothly without any hiccups.
All political parties and their members including independent candidates are required to abide by this code of conduct. Residents who feel that the code has been violated in any way can approach the electoral commission for a formal complaint.
“You can have the most well run and managed election on election day but if the conditions prevailing in the run-up to that election were not conducive to tolerance, to open and free debate, then the outcome cannot be free and fair,” said Mashinini.
@MzwaJourno
