Municipal poll chief asks candidates to follow code of conduct

JEDDAH: Candidates contesting the municipal elections have been asked to strictly abide by the code of conduct for organizing poll campaigns.
The move comes from Municipal and Rural Affairs Minister Abdul Lateef Al-Asheikh, who also heads the General Committee for the Municipal Elections.
In a circular, he stressed the importance of following the rules and regulations, from the time they submit an application for seeking a license to organize campaigns.
The campaigns can be launched within 15 days of the date of announcement of the list of candidates.
Election committees across the Kingdom have been directed to follow the rules concerning the categorization of the licenses pertaining to the candidates’ campaigns, especially their types, the costs involved and other related matters.
The circular refers to various articles of the code of conduct, including those for publishing advertisements or placing posters and billboards at approved locations, and while delivering poll-related lectures.
It also insists that all candidates, whether male or female, must get equal opportunity in organizing their campaigns.
The local election committees will review the applications for campaign licenses and will grant them only after completing the regulatory procedures at least a week before the final announcement of the candidates’ lists.
Above all, the election campaigns should strictly abide by the Shariah and other legal requirements, mainly the allocation of a separate and independent place for women.

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