CHANDIGARH: The State Election Commission (SEC) has imposed the Model Code of Conduct in order to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections to four Municipal Councils (MC) and one Nagar Panchayat (NP) to be held on 14-9-2008 in the State and be operative till the completion of elections in the Municipal areas under Polls.

The new projects having impact on the above Municipal Committees would also attract the provisions of the Code. The Commission under Article 243K and 2437A of the Constitution of India and all other enabling provisions/ powers, has issued the code of conduct in four MCs namely Moga, Kharar, Muktsar, Sujanpur and Nagar Panchayat in Badhni Kalan. "No party or candidate would indulge in any activity which could aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic. There would be no appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes. Besides, Mosques, Churches, Temples or other places of worship could not be used as forum for election propaganda", the Commission said.

The SEC has clarified that the Ministers would not combine their official visits with electioneering work and would not also make use of official machinery or personnel, during the electioneering. The party in power would ensure that no cause is given for any complaint that it has used its official position for the purposes of its election campaign and in particular issue of advertisements at the cost of public exchequer and the misuse of official mass media during the election period for partisan coverage and publicity regarding achievements should be scrupulously avoided.

The model code of conduct directs that on the polling day, it must be ensured that the candidate's camps should be simple and they would not display any posters, flags, symbols or any other propaganda material. No eatable would be served or crowd allowed at the camps.

The Commission said that if the candidates or their agents have any specific complaint or problem regarding the conduct of elections, they could bring the same to the notice of the Observers already appointed by the commission. No political party or candidates, their supporters or workers would put up hoardings, banners, buntings, posters at any Government building/ property or public place.

The Code of Conduct clarifies that a public servant would remain absolutely impartial during the election and would not indulge in any campaigning activity for or against any contesting candidate or political party.  A public servant would not participate or accompany a Minister in any programme, organised at an individual's house for which the Minister has accepted the invitation during his election tour.

Ordinarily, all meetings organised during election would be treated as election meetings and no Government money would be spent on them. Official telephones including mobiles, faxes etc would not be used for electioneering purposes.

The Commission has directed that the violation of these provisions is punishable under various laws. The District Election Officers-cum-Deputy Commissioners and the police have been authorised to initiate prosecution against violation of this Code before the competent criminal courts under intimation to the State Election Commissioner.