EDITORIAL - Integrity Pledge

Every candidate in the 2016 elections is required to sign a so-called Integrity Pledge. It commits the candidate to abide by the Constitution, elections laws, rules and regulations to ensure that the 2016 vote will be “free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible.”

The pledge also commits the candidate to eschew violence and bribery, and to conduct a “clean” campaign, “observing fairness, common decency, honesty and good faith.” The candidate also pledges to promptly and accurately report campaign contributions and expenditures when the elections are over.

Prepared by the Commission on Elections, the Integrity Pledge is not legally binding, but it reminds candidates of acts that violate the law and election rules. In recent years certain offenses have been classified as election sabotage, which merit tough penalties including life imprisonment.

The pledge reflects the nation’s wish for peaceful and clean elections. An acronym was even coined – HOPE, for honest, orderly and peaceful elections – but so far it has remained just in the realm of hope.

In many parts of the country, murder is still seen as the ultimate tool for eliminating a political rival. As the public is now seeing, negative campaigning, smear jobs and dirty tricks dominate even races for national office. Gifts and bribes from candidates are the norm. Statements of campaign contributions and expenditures submitted by candidates often provide the same comic relief as the annual statements of assets, liabilities and net worth submitted by public officials.

It’s good to see candidates signing the Integrity Pledge. The public can only hope that candidates make it more than a best-efforts pledge.