Staff Reporter:

The Election Commission (EC) has issued a code of conduct ahead of the local government elections. Separate codes have been issued for elections to city corporations, district councils, upazila parishads, municipalities and union parishads. Although separate, the codes are largely identical.

The upcoming local government elections will be non-partisan. The EC has therefore formulated new codes of conduct for the elections. Although the election schedule has not yet been finalised, the commission has begun preparations.

Issuing the codes is part of that process. The gazette notifications of these codes of conduct were published on 6 September.

Several new provisions have been added to the codes. Like the last national parliamentary election, posters will not be allowed in local election campaigns. However, candidates will be allowed to campaign using banners, festoons, handbills and billboards. The codes also specify the permitted sizes of these campaign materials.

Candidates will be allowed to campaign through digital platforms and social media. At the same time, spreading misinformation, character assassination, promoting fake news or hate speech using artificial intelligence (AI) has been prohibited.

Candidates must submit their account IDs and email addresses to the returning officer before starting online campaigns.

As in previous local government elections, the codes set specific hours for campaigning. Campaigning will not be allowed before election symbols are allocated. Public meetings and processions will also be prohibited. A maximum of five supporters will be allowed to accompany a candidate while submitting nomination papers.

Candidates will not be allowed to collect voters’ or their family members’ personal National Identity Card (NID) numbers to influence voters for or against a candidate. They will also be prohibited from collecting mobile phone numbers for transactions through mobile financial services (MFS).

High-profile government officials and public figures will not be allowed to campaign for candidates in local government elections. The list includes the prime minister, speaker and deputy speaker of parliament, ministers, chief whip, leader of the opposition, deputy leader of parliament, deputy leader of the opposition, state ministers, whips, deputy ministers and anyone holding an equivalent position; members of parliament, city corporation mayors and individuals serving as mayors or administrators or performing the duties of mayors.

They will be barred from campaigning in city corporation, upazila, municipal, district council and union parishad elections.

Apart from the candidate, no chairman, mayor, administrator or other person holding a position in the local government will be allowed to participate in election campaigns.