Voluntary Code of Conduct

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) has developed a model Code of Conduct for Political Parties Campaigning in Democratic Elections. This voluntary code establishes ground rules for ethical behaviour. It can be applied to political parties and candidates around the world.

Mandatory Code of Conduct

Some electoral systems provide for adoption of a mandatory code of conduct that all parties and candidates must follow if they are competing in elections. Such a code may form part of the legal or regulatory framework and violators may be subject to administrative and legal sanctions. A candidate who fails to comply could be disqualified and face legal action. Most codes are essentially voluntary but sometimes such codes provide for consultation and mediation concerning the circumstances and effect of violations.

An example of a code for a country in transition is the 1995 South African Electoral Code of Conduct for Political Parties. The Code is binding on any party, candidate or party representative submitting an application to partiticipate in elections. The Code essentially required participants to behave as follows:

• Publicly condemn violence and intimidation.
• Do not engage in violence or intimidation, or in language or action that might lead to violence or intimidation.
• Do not allow weapons to be carried at political meetings, marches, demonstrations, voting stations, etc.
• Do not publish or repeat false, defamatory or inflammatory allegations about political opponents.
• Cooperate with other political parties to avoid holding political activities at the same time and place.
• Do not prevent eligible voters from having access to political opponents.
• Do not destroy, disfigure or remove other political parties’ campaign materials.
• Do not plagiarize other political parties’ symbols, colours or acronyms.
• Do not try to bribe eligible voters.
• Do not abuse positions of power, influence or privilege.
• Do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, social class or religion.
• Facilitate equal participation for women, and their access to political activities and to voting.
• Cooperate with the electoral authorities in investigating issues and allegations in connection with the election.
• Take all reasonable steps to protect election officers, voter registration officers and their representatives from insult, hazard or threat in the course of their official duties.
• Reassure voters that the secrecy and integrity of the ballot will be maintained, and that no one will know how any other person has voted.
• Take necessary and reasonable steps to instill discipline in party/candidate representatives, employees or supporters, and guide them to follow the Code, comply with laws and regulations, commit no election irregularities, and adhere to election regulations.
• Establish and maintain communication with the government, voter registration officers, returning officers and election committees, and with parties and candidates at provincial and local level. This includes exchanging names, addresses and telephone/fax numbers of their agents, supervisors and representatives.[1]