Codes of conduct are tools used to promote the nonpartisan nature of voter education when it is done by organisations other than an election authority. There are times when this is necessary and the codes that are created invariably follow certain forms.
Why are Codes of Conduct Necessary?
Nongovernment organisations and community-based organisations are often involved in promoting democracy. In countries where this has meant mobilising support against a government in power, or even in situations where there has been civil strife, every organisation is coloured by its association with one or another party.
Even those organisations that have tried to remain above the fray or to be nonpartisan come to be associated with one or the other side in a conflict. Once these conflicts are resolved and replaced by an electoral process, however, parties often remain suspicious of civil society organisations. It is assumed that each civil society organization has a particular party interest.
Over time, the general conduct and reputation of organisations may overcome these transitional prejudices. But when elections are close and there is a need for voter education, it is difficult to establish a nonpartisan presence. Yet it is essential to be able to make use of civil society organisations to promote voter education.
Because of the difficulty in establishing a credible and nonpartisan civil society network of educators, some electoral authorities avoid working with them. Codes of conduct, however, for voter education organisations or coalitions provide one way out of this dilemma.
Effective Codes of Conduct
A code is most effective if it is self-imposed and then published widely. In this way, voters and political parties can judge the performance of the organisation against what it professes to be. Sometimes the election authorities may have to prepare a code of conduct and ask civil society organisations to assent to it. This can happen if organisations cannot agree among
themselves, or if the election authority has been able to get acceptance from the candidates themselves to such a code. It is seldom that the civil society organisations can themselves negotiate such a nonpartisan role after being locked into various sides in a conflict, but it can be done if organisations perceived to be on opposite sides of the fence come together.
Unfortunately, in a national struggle for democracy, most civil society organisations end up on the same side. But this is counterproductive once the election period begins, because the previous regime often retains some support and takes part in the election. And in negotiated settlements, the election authorities themselves have people from the old and new orders.
Content of a Code of Conduct
A code will normally contain clauses relating to the professional conduct of the organisation and its staff, a commitment to nonpartisanship in training, the production of materials, and the recruitment and deployment of staff. The code may also list the services being offered by the organisation in order to limit its sphere of activity in the election.
Policing the Code
Where a code is self-imposed, the only way it can be policed is on the basis of social sanction. Where an electoral authority establishes a code, it is possible to withdraw registration privileges such as access to the information and briefings of the electoral authority, access to funding sources, and possibly more restrictive measures, especially against published materials. It is more difficult to act against behaviour unless it is clearly documented and partisanship can be proved.
