The SMC has attended the consultation held on the Elections Code of Conduct. Such codes have proven to be valuable to the electoral process as it guides the work of the media as well as the other stakeholders who seek to use the media during the process.
Codes are most effective if they are the outcome of a collective process in which journalists and editors themselves participate. Therefore alongside the SMC, other representatives present included Today in Seychelles, Seychelles Nation, Seychelles News Agency, Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation, TeleSesel, K-Radio and Pure FM attended the session that lasted for half a day. The political party newspapers were not in attendance, despite having been invited.
The session was led by the E.C communication consultant, Mrs Muriel Morgan who went through the proposed code and representatives were able to question the different sections of the document and make corrections and amendments.
A code of conduct for election is an essential tool that helps all concerned parties to contribute towards a neutral, impartial election process. It can contribute to the fairness and freedom of the way election is administered. A code promotes consultation and discussion amongst the different stakeholders and guides their action.