The proposals were among nine recommendations released yesterday by an international team which observed Guernsey’s general election earlier this year.
The observers, working on behalf of the British Islands and Mediterranean Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, concluded that the election was well-organised but that several aspects were ‘unregulated or insufficiently codified’.
Their 22-page final report will now be considered by the States Assembly & Constitution Committee and other States committees before any changes are made.
‘Some concerns were raised about abusive or misogynistic comments made online by one candidate, yet there are no clear guidelines or mechanisms to address such behaviour, unless it is raised with the police as a criminal complaint,’ said the observers.
‘A recommendation is to introduce a code of conduct for candidates. This requirement could strengthen the integrity of the campaign period, promote respectful public discourse and reinforce candidate accountability.’
The observers found that there was ‘an inherent challenge’ for the media in covering an election with 82 candidates, nearly all of whom stood as independents.
They were concerned that media outlets were left to use their own judgment about how best to cover the campaigns of such a large number of candidates.
‘A recommendation is to consider introducing a code of conduct for election campaign media to clarify the roles and responsibilities for fair and balanced reporting, ensuring consistent awareness and adherence across all stakeholders,’ they said.
Eight observers visited Guernsey during the week of the general election.
They observed all polling stations during the three days on which voters could cast their ballots in person. They met a wide range of people, including candidates, election officials, journalists, representatives of civil society groups and other members of the public. They also attended campaign events and requested email submissions.
The CPA carried out a virtual election observer mission at the previous general election, in 2020, due to Covid restrictions, but in April the States agreed a budget of £50,000 to meet the costs of observers visiting the island for this year’s poll.
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