IEC holds electoral campaign follow-up meeting

AMMAN — The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Wednesday held a meeting with staff responsible for following up on the electoral campaigns for the local and municipal councils elections, scheduled for August 15, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

IEC President Khaled Kalaldeh said the meeting aimed to clarify to those responsible for registering and monitoring the election campaigns their designated tasks, means of work and tools of monitoring, in addition to the means of communication available to reach the concerned authorities. 

Kalaldeh highlighted the importance of coordination, in order to detect violations of the electoral campaign process and to ensure they are run in accordance with the law, which he said boosts the citizen’s trust in the election process. 

The enforced instructions on election campaigns stipulate that the campaign begins at the date when candidates start running for the elections and end 24 hours prior to the election day, the IEC said.

Candidates running for the elections should abide by the Constitution, respect others’ opinions, maintain national unity and security, with no bias or racism, or the use of slogans insulting the country, according to the IEC instructions. They are instructed not to use pictures of the Royal family in meetings, announcements and pamphlets or in any kind of campaign literature.

Instructions also stipulate that campaigning should not be conducted at ministries, government departments, official institutions, educational institutions or places of worship, adding that no property belonging to government departments should be used for the campaign. No candidate should harass the campaigns of other candidates by any means possible, whether personally or through others, and speakers on transportation vehicles are not allowed for campaigning. 

Instructions also include not displaying any announcements or election statements on walls, telephone poles and electricity poles, traffic signs, public property, or displaying them in ways that affect public safety.