Shillong, June 19: The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Meghalaya, in collaboration with the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), organized a workshop on “Model Code of Conduct for Campaigns” in Shillong on Friday as part of thematic initiatives under India’s Chairship of International IDEA.
The workshop was inaugurated by F.R. Kharkongor, IAS, Principal Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, who attended as the Chief Guest. In his address, he emphasized the importance of ethical election campaigning, responsible political conduct, and strengthening public trust in democratic institutions.
C.V.D. Diengdoh, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, District Council Affairs Department, attended as the Guest of Honour and highlighted the provisions of the Sixth Schedule and the relevance of the Model Code of Conduct in elections to the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), and Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
Earlier, Dr. B.D.R. Tiwari, IAS, Chief Electoral Officer of Meghalaya, welcomed participants and highlighted Meghalaya’s role in undertaking thematic work on the Model Code of Conduct for Campaigns under the International IDEA initiative.
The workshop brought together election officials, political party representatives, academicians, media professionals, researchers, and other stakeholders through both physical and virtual modes. Representatives of political parties, including Dr. David Kharshandy of the National People’s Party (NPP) and Dr. A.W. Rani of the Voice of the People Party (VPP), shared their perspectives on ethical campaigning and democratic accountability.
The technical sessions featured presentations by leading academicians and subject experts. Mr. Shishir Tiwari, Assistant Professor, Department of Law, NEHU, spoke on the legal framework of ethical election campaigning, while Dr. Kamaljit Chirom, Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, NEHU, discussed media, digital campaigns, and information integrity. Prof. K. Debbarma, Department of Political Science, NEHU, delivered a presentation on campaign finance, monitoring, and enforcement, while Prof. Diptendu Sinha Roy, Dean (Research & Consultancy), National Institute of Technology (NIT) Meghalaya, addressed emerging challenges and global cooperation.
The deliberations generated valuable recommendations on strengthening campaign regulation, promoting ethical political communication, enhancing transparency, and safeguarding electoral integrity. Inputs received during the workshop will contribute to the thematic document on the “Model Code of Conduct for Campaigns” being prepared as part of the research initiative.
The workshop was conducted in hybrid mode, with participation from IIIDEM, CEO offices, district officials, IDEA member officers, political party representatives, media personnel, and academicians from across the state.
The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Meghalaya, expressed gratitude to all speakers, participants, and partner institutions for their contributions towards the successful conduct of the workshop.
