Kohima, February 17: Asserting their moral authority on societal discourses and issues, various church and social organisations in Nagaland have issued dos and do nots to political parties to ensure free, fair and accountable election to the State Assembly on March 5 .

These organisations have been very much vocal against the malpractices indulged in during the electioneering, particularly the prevailing practices of setting up of so called youth camps by political parties of all hues, where money and liquor pour in freely during the campaigns.

Besides polluting the young and impressionable minds, the Churches and NGOs felt, such camps very often caused nuisance to public peace and harmony in residential colonies and their negative impacts continued even after the elections.

Soon after announcement of assembly poll schedules, Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) and powerful Naga Mothers Association (NMA) issued guidelines to political parties and intending candidates not to lure students and youth with money and strictly abide by Election Commissions model code of conduct to ensure a peaceful, free and fair poll.

As the electioneering gathers momentum across Nagaland many NGOs have taken lead in passing resolutions in their respective villages or residential colonies in towns, restraining political parties to do whatever they like at their whims to garner votes as in the previous elections.

Most of such social organisations restricted campaigns after evening in residential areas keeping in view the public peace and the coming Higher Secondary final examinations.

The NGOs have not shown any favour to any political alignment and guidelines have been instructed to all contestants.

Five tribal Church associations of the border district of Tuensang yesterday organised an interactive session with all contesting candidates of Tuensang district, and passed certain resolutions to ensure a fair election and socio-economic development in the district.

Eleutheros Christian Society (ECS), who initiated the deliberation, said the meeting unanimously resolved to implement a common development agenda by elected members of the district for improvement of physical infrastructure, education, health care and employment generation activities.

The intending candidates also agreed to abide by the suggestions of the joint meeting that no so called youth camps should be set up in respective constituencies under the district and no candidate and his supporters would prevent his opponent in any way during the poll campaigns.

They also assured not to indulge in proxy voting and booth capturing on polling day, ECS office bearers said.

The meeting also resolved that after the election, the elected members of four border districts, what they called eastern Nagaland, an installation service would be organized at Kohima.

Besides the ECB, four tribal Church associations who took part in the meeting were Chang Baptist Association, Yimchungru Baptist Association, Khiamniungan Baptist Association and United Sangtam Baptist Church Association.

The ECB is well recognised for its services in the field of de-addiction and HIV/AIDS in the hinterlands of Nagaland, bordering Myanmar.

Elsewhere in the state, The Gorkha Panchayat at Kohima has issued guidelines to political parties for ensuing fair election and resolved to allow set up of only one camp for each contestants in the Chandmari residential area.

The Supply Colony Council, P R Hill, Kohima also resolved not to set up any political party office within its jurisdiction in the run to the election.

It also decided not to allow any outsiders to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the colony during electioneering and restricted outsiders to cast any proxy vote on polling day, the Council said in a statement.

The youth organisation of greater Midland area in the capital town also restricted campaigns after evening and decided to allow political parties to set up a single office each for election.

At Mon, Konyak Union, Konyak Baptist Church Association, Konyak Students Union jointly organised a common platform on Thursday inviting all intending candidates of Mon district, comprising 10 assembly segments in an attempt to ensure a peaceful poll.

The meeting held at Council Hall was also addressed by Deputy Commissioner M Patton who appreciated the NGOs initiative towards maintaining a peaceful atmosphere and cordial relations among the contestants, an official release said.

Leaders from Congress, Nagaland peoples Front (NPF) and BJP enlightened the public about their party's policies and programmes in the meeting which called for not to use any unfair means by any candidate during electioneering.

In Phek, Chakesang baptist church councils yesterday organised a common platform along with civil society groups for all contestants of the district.

A pledge was administered for them to uphold the model code of conduct and work for the welfare of the state.

At Dimapur too, village council of Diphupar last week organised a common platform for all the candidates where basic problems were highlighted.

However many village councils across the state resolved to support candidatures of articular individuals much ahead of beginning of the election process in Nagaland, barring others even to campaign for vote in their respective jurisdictions.

Election Commission is not against such traditional practice of selection of a candidate by a village council but what it opposes is the practice of casting the ballots by one or two persons for the entire village.

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