ETHICS COMMISSION ADOPTS "ELECTION ETHICS CODE"

ZAGREB, Dec 12 (Hina) - The Elections Ethics Commission on Sunday passed the "Election Ethics Code" which was adopted at the commission's second session following a review of comments and suggestions made by parliamentary parties to a draft of the code. Comments and suggestions were submitted to the commission by the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) and Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP). A press release by the Ethics Commission notes that most of the comments and suggestions made by parties were accepted and included in the code. The code consists of five points: fundamental provisions; behaviour of participants in the elections; equality and justice in the media; equal treatment for all in pre-election presentations and behaviour of monitors of election proceedings. Based on the fundamental provisions - fairness, truthfulness, justice, respect, responsibility, tolerance and cultural dialogue during the elections, the code emphasises during pre-election campaigning there is to be no use of violence; spreading of national, religious or racial hatred or promotion of inequality of the sexes. Pre-election campaigning should be conducted freely, openly, publicly and argumentatively and where in opposition to tend towards founded and argumented criticism. Participants in the elections shall have freedom of thought and expression of thought while pre-election programmes should be as open, clear and credible as possible. The point covering behaviour of participants emphasises that during pre-election campaigning and electoral proceedings themselves, undermining the Croatian system of free elections or disturbing and preventing complete freedom of expression of voters; spreading any ill-intended or unfounded accusations against any candidate for the purpose of raising doubts in the public regarding a candidates loyalty or patriotism, shall be considered as non-ethical. Any falsities or insinuations against political opponents, ridiculing of physical, psychological or other characteristics of opponents with the purpose of demeaning or raising insinuations regarding an opponents private life or of their families; insults or prejudice against national minorities or use of personal details obtained illegally too will not be considered ethical. Any individual or party which acts in opposition to the Ethics Code shall be expected to publicly apologise to the offended party. The point referring to equality in the media notes that voters have the right to obtain objective information about parties and candidates. Parties and candidates have the right to equal conditions in pre- election campaigning and as such each party should be in an equal position to present their programme and candidates under equal conditions and public timing on Croatian Radio Television. Croatian Radio and Television is expected not to use material which could be interpreted as election campaigning in programmes other than those intended for this purpose. Commercial and electronic media are expected to respect the principle of equal access for paid political campaigning for all parties and candidates at the elections and to objectively, without bias and in a balanced way to inform the public during election campaigning. In the point on equality in pre-election presentations, it will be considered unethical to use equipment, stationery and premises owned by the state and local self-government offices to conduct election campaigning activities. The final point referring to the behaviour of monitors during election proceedings notes that monitors cannot express their opinions regarding parties or individual candidates nor in any other way, influence voters. The Election Ethics Code comes into force today and shall be published in the National Gazette, the press release issued by the Ethics Commission and signed by commission president Ivo Padovan, notes. (hina) sp