May 7, Kathmandu- The Election Commission has made public the code of conduct for the local level election to be held on May 13. The code of conduct stipulates the conduct to be followed by the media establishment, the concerned staff and the journalists.

Media establishments, affiliated staff and journalists should not publish, broadcast, or share, like, comment or comment on any content on social media using SMS, Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, Viber, YouTube, Instagram for or against anyone. Media establishments, concerned staff and journalists should not accept donations, gifts or financial support from any political party or candidate or their representative and should not publish or broadcast news for or against anyone.

Similarly, the code of conduct stipulates that news should not be published or broadcast on any basis such as disruption of relations and harmony between caste, language, religion, sect, gender and region, political beliefs or ideas, nationality and social status. Do not publish, broadcast or disseminate free or sponsored advertisements for election campaign of political party or candidate.

It has been mentioned that advertisements related to the election of a political party or a candidate should be published, broadcast or disseminated not exceeding the time period prescribed by the Commission. However, such advertisements cannot be published, broadcast or transmitted during the other period. Similarly, a journalist should not violate the confidentiality of the source of information, tarnish the honor, reputation and dignity of a political party or a candidate and a family member of a candidate and publish and broadcast false and misleading news.

During the period of silence, no message, information, propaganda material, posting, or sharing, commenting, publishing or broadcasting news for or against the political party or candidate through social online print media or any other means. The Code of Conduct also stipulates that advertisements, talk shows, comments, analysis, question and answer sessions should not be conducted for or against a political party or candidate during the silence period and articles, pictures or other publications that spread negative message about the election should not be published.