Maldives - Political Advocacy and the Electoral Process - A Set of Principles for Political Actors (goo.gl/CxkTg9) Political actors will • respect the right and freedom of all other actors to carry out their activities, and to disseminate their political ideas and principles without fear; • conduct themselves in a manner that respects the rights of other actors, and respects the rights of voters and other members of the community; • respect the freedom of the press; • use their good offices to seek to ensure reasonable freedom of access by all actors to all potential voters; • seek to ensure that potential voters wishing to participate in related political activities have the freedom to do so. Political actors will not • harass or obstruct journalists who are engaged in their professional activities; disrupt, destroy or frustrate the campaign efforts of any other party; • prevent the distribution of handbills and leaflets, and the display of posters of other political actors; • deface or destroy the posters of other actors and candidates; • prevent any other actor from holding rallies, meetings, marches or demonstrations; • seek to prevent any person from attending the political rallies of another political actor; • permit their supporters to do anything prohibited by this section. LANGUAGE Political actors will • organize and conduct political advocacy and protests in a manner that contributes toward a congenial and peaceful atmosphere during the campaign period, the polling, the counting and the post-election period; • act with a sense of responsibility and dignity befitting their status. Speakers at political rallies will avoid using language that • is inflammatory, or defamatory; • threatens or incites violence in any form against any other person or group of persons. Actors will not issue, either officially or anonymously, pamphlets, newsletters or posters containing language or material that threatens or incites violence. INTIMIDATION AND VIOLENCE Political actors will accept that intimidation, in any form, is unacceptable, and will • issue directives expressly forbidding their officials, candidates, members and supporters to intimidate any person at any time; • campaign against violence or threats of violence, and against any acts of vandalism or public disorder committed or threatened by their officials, candidates, members or supporters; • respect other persons and actors, and their property. Political actors will not • engage in or permit any kind of violent activity to demonstrate party strength or to prove supremacy; • cause damage to any public or private property; • permit their supporters to do anything prohibited by this section. ABUSE OF POSITION Political actors will not • abuse a position of power, privilege or influence for a political purpose, by offering a reward, threatening a penalty, or by any other means; • In this section, “a position of power, privilege or influence” includes a position of parental, patriarchal, governmental, police, military or traditional authority. ACCEPTING THE OUTCOME OF A FREE AND FAIR ELECTION An actor who has subscribed to these principles will • accept the outcome of an election that has been certified; • submit any grievance only to the relevant dispute settlement agency; • accept and comply with the final decisions of the dispute settlement agency. Adapted from International IDEA, Code of Conduct for Political Parties, Campaigning in Democratic Elections, and excerpts by Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:17:32 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015