a. As the principal participants and protagonists in the Elections phase, the political parties of the country and the several hundreds of candidates seeking votes during the campaign phase have a legal obligation to abide by the terms and conditions prescribed by the ECP with regard to the expenditure on advertising in media, with regard to their inter-actions with media when they make statements, or give interviews or participate in broadcast programmes etc.

b. Political parties and candidates contesting in the Elections 2013 have already gone through unprecedented scrutiny of their assets, internal party elections, past and present financial conditions, etc.

c. Yet they continue to face the challenge that, during the heat and pressure inevitably generated by the competitive and often closely contested nature of election campaigns, their interactions with the media in all respects should remain within the defined limits and be of the highest standards of probity and decency.

d. A solemn responsibility, therefore, rests upon all political parties and candidates with regard to how they interact with the media in terms of conducting their electoral campaign activities and briefing media or facilitating media to provide coverage to such activities as well as in their financial dealings with the media concerning expenditure on advertising.