Code of Ethical Political Conduct

MEDIA RELEASE - August 2nd, 2023

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STATEMENT ON THE COUNCIL'S DELIBERATION

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The Council for Responsible Political Behaviour is heartened by the positive feedback it has been receiving from both the media and the wider public, as it seeks to raise the quality of election campaigning by the political parties of the country. Members of the media, as well as ordinary citizens, have responded to our call to alert us about any infractions of the Code. The follow up discussions to our media statements about those infractions are going a long way to heighten awareness about this aspect of the electoral process and, very importantly, about the people’s role in safeguarding the nation’s democratic institutions.

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The Council also acknowledges the views of those who highlight our shortcomings, even as they recognize the significance of the work we do. Such criticism has not gone unnoticed and will certainly propel us in the direction of reviewing how we operate.

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From the feedback over the last week, the Council would like to clear up certain misconceptions as to its operations and functions. The Council would like to underscore the following:

1. Non-partisan Civil Society Organizations created the Code of Ethical Political Conduct which provides for a Council to monitor and evaluate political conduct during the election campaign.

2. These Civil Society Organizations then appointed citizens to serve on this Council for Responsible Political Behaviour as their representatives.

3. The Council has never been and is NOT funded by the State.

4. All eight members of Council operate on a voluntary basis.

5. The Council is restricted to its monitoring activities ONLY during a campaign. This was the agreed positions of parties when they endorsed the Code. The Council CANNOT comment on statements made outside an Election Campaign period.

6. The deliberations of Council Meetings are engaged with the full participation of ALL members present.

7. On achieving consensus, further to its deliberations, a media release is drafted and circulated for vetting by Council Members.

8. Only on the approval of Council Members are Media Releases issued.

9. All Council meetings, since 2015, are properly Minuted in detail of participation by Council members and can be viewed on request. In this Local Government election campaign, the Council has only responded to complaints made. We therefore continue to encourage the population to report violations of the Code which can then be considered.

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The Council today began deliberation on a number of complaints submitted over the past week and a media release will be issued by the end of the week. We thank the public for its contribution to the collective monitoring of this election period.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Council,

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Leela Ramdeen,

Secretary

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