The Election Commission (EC) yesterday announced a code of conduct for the contending political parties and candidates In the coming par liamentary elections, reports BSS

Following is the code of conduct as published in a gazette notification

Ban on Donation or Subscription: The political parlies may announce their overall development planning. But following the announcement of the election schedule till the polling, the contending parties and candidates can not donate or commit to donate any sum of money, publicly or secretly, to any institution of their respective constituencies. During tne period they can not commit to adopt any development project in their respective ar-

Use of Dak Bangalows and Rest Houses: All parties and candidates would enjoy equal rights in using government rest houses, circuit houses or dak bangalows on the basis of their application and in accordance with the existing principles in this regard. But officials concerned engaged in election duties will get priority in getting the facilities of rest houses, circuit houses or dak Irangalows

Election Campaign: (1) All political parties and candidates would enjoy equal rights in regard to election campaign. Rallies. processions or other election campaigns of the op ponent? can not be disrupted or obstructed. *

(2) The contending parties and candidates have to inform the date, time and venue of their respective rallies or marches to the police authorities and their opponents ahead of the programmes.

(3) The contending parties and candidates have to inform the time and venue of their rallies much earlier to the police so that the authorities

might take necessary measures for public movement there and ensure law and order.

(4) No public meeting could be held on any road disrupting the movement of people without the permission of appropriate authorities.

(5) Organisers of any rally, meeting or other programme must report to the police if their programme is disturbed by trouble makers. The organisers must not take measures against the trouble makers on their own

(61 Following the announcement of (Milling ached ule, no political party or can didate can use government media, official transports, gov eminent officials or employees or other state facilities

(7) No posters, leaflets or handbills, can be put on the posters, leaflets of handbills of the rival candidates.

(8) No election camps can be set up on the roads or places of publu use. Election camps should be simple, as far as possible, voters can not be entertained with any sort of food or drinks in the election camps.

(9) Government dak bangalows rest houses, circuit houses or anv government offices can not fx- used as a place for election campaign.

(101 Posters for election campaign must be printed on country-made paper a black and white colour and in no way be more than 22"xl8" in size.

(11) No contender should use gQor< than three microphones at a time in nis respective area apd the use of mike would be limited between 2pm and 8 pm.

(12) Lands, buildings or other movable or immovable property of any citizen must not be damaged in connection with the election and personal Kace of any person must not violated by undesired activities or indlsciplined behaviour.

(13) All contenders will refrain from all sorts of wall writings as a means of election campaign.

(14) In the interest of maintaining law and order, no motor vehicles, including motor cycles, can be moved and no sort of firearms or explo-

gives can be carried within the premises of polling centres, no government official or local Influential persons can illegally Intervene In election activities

(15) No truck or bus or torch procession on behalf of any candidate can be brought out.

(16) All political partiea and candidates will have to cooper ate with the officials and em ployees engaged In election duties to ensure completion of voting tn a dim lolined manner without any trouble

(17) No political party or candidates can give any unpalatable or provocative state ment and say anything which might hurt the sentiment of the followers of any religion

(18) No contender In any way will exceed the fixed limit of the election expenditure

Keeping the Election Free of any Influence: The election must not be Influenced by money, weapons, muscle power or local Influence.

Access to the Polling Centre: Only the employees and officials engaged in election duties, rival candidates, polling agents and voters will have the right to access to the polling centres. No worker of any po-•litical party or candidate will be allowed to move inside the polling centres. Only the polling agents, sitting in their fixed places, would perform their specific duties.

Pre-Polling Irregularities: Violation of any clause of the code will .be considered as pre-polling irregularities and any person' or pollHqaJ party aggrieved by such violation can apply to the electoral enquiry committee or Election Commission seeking remedy. If the application filed to the Election Commission is found to be objective, the commission might send it to the concerned or any electoral enquiry committee for investigation. In both the cases the electoral enquiry committee after investigation under Article 9 LA of the Representation of People Order 1972 (P. O. No 155 of 1972) will submit recommendation to the Commission: