Electoral Commission : drawing attention to Code of Conduct

The Electoral Commission held a meeting on Thursday afternoon with the campaign managers and the candidates to the forthcoming elections. The Chairman of the Electoral Supervisory Commission (ESC) Yusuf Aboobaker and members of the ESC, the Electoral Commissioner Irfan Raman and his senior staff as well as the Commissioner of Police Mario Nobin were present at the meeting which took place at the Taher Bagh Hall, Port Louis. The main topic of discussion was the practical arrangements for the general elections. 

The Chairman of the Electoral Supervisory Commission (ESC) Yusuf Aboobaker drew the attention of those present on the Code of Conduct which should to be respected and which can help to appease the tensed atmosphere during an election. “The holding of elections in Mauritius has always been cited as an international example and I believe that it is our duty to make sure that we keep this reputation,” he said. He appealed to the candidates to avoid making unachievable electoral promises. He added that the environment is also a very important aspect during an electoral campaign and highlighted that it should be respected. He greatly encouraged the use of bio flags and banners. 

On his side the Police Commissioner Mario Nobin said that the electoral campaign is being closely followed by the Police Force. “Since the announcement of the general elections up to now, law and order is under control. There have been no incidents which are cause for concern but only minor incidents. Everything is under control,” he said. He reassured the population about the police’s devotion. He said that the general elections of 2019 is definitely different given the fact that social media has taken a toll. When it comes to deployment of police officers during the campaign, he said that officers of the SMF and of the SSU are conducting searches day and night, verifying all vehicles. 

Mario Nobin also declared that the Police will also ensure that law and order is respected on both the Voting and Counting Day. “We are closely following that the printing of the ballot papers and are providing escorts for the transferring of the ballot papers to the different police stations.” He also underlined that in order to ensure a better communication with the police, a Number Directory has been provided to the candidates and agents. He explained that every three constituency will fall under the supervision of a Deputy Commissioner of Police. 

The candidates received a 15-page booklet on the Code of Conduct for these elections. The booklet aims to be complementary to the legal provisions in force regarding the holding and conduct of elections, in particular the provisions concerning electoral corruption and rules regarding election expenses. The booklet also targets the campaign agents of the different candidates. 

The chapter entitled ‘Duty of the participants’ underlines that the candidates must “abstain from publishing or even cause to publish, whether it is on the social networks or elsewhere, of defamatory, even incendiary comments about their political opponents or their respective families.”

Candidates are also required not to use electoral promises that are not feasible or that are false. In addition, candidates are asked to refrain from organising meetings with only a segment of the population such as persons from a specific community, caste or specific religion. Sectarian and communal remarks are also to be avoided. Candidates are also required to avoid holding meetings or gatherings at the same time as their opponents so as to avoid tensions between supporters.