ISLAMABAD, July 14: Acting Chief Election Commissioner Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar on Thursday said he has the power to disqualify a candidate contesting local government polls for violating the election’s Code of Conduct on a suo motu. “However, such an action can only be taken against the violator on flagrant breach of code of conduct; that too after confirming facts from different sources,” the Acting CEC told reporters while speaking at a one-day media workshop in the Federal Election Academy.

Candidates while filing nomination papers, Justice Dogar explained, will have to give an undertaking to refrain themselves from using directly or indirectly flag, symbol, affiliation, financial or material support from any political, religions, ethnic or sectarian group during electioneering.

Though he expressed confidence that candidates participating in the forthcoming local government elections would strictly adhere to the code of conduct, he avoided answering as to what kind of undertaking cabinet ministers or other public officers contesting the elections would give in their nomination papers, especially when they won the 2002 general elections on a party ticket.