The GAM starts Inspection Tours of Elections Campaigning in the Capital

The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) started inspection tours on the various fields and streets in the Capital, to ensure the compliance with the terms and conditions of the electoral propaganda, in addition to the GAM's approval.

Through intensifying the inspection tours, and in conjunction with the end of the elections campaign, GAM stressed that, any unlicensed electoral propaganda, will not be allowed to post banners and posters on the Capital's streets for any of the candidates.

The Vocational and Advertising Licensing Department, Eng. Faleh Al-Shammari, said that about 80 candidates obtained the approvals to the elections campaigning, after presenting a check or a cash of 4000 JODs as deposits to the Finance Department, as well as signing an undertaking of the proper implementation of the electoral propaganda when submitting a financial clearance application.

GAM also calls upon all the candidates to initiatively obtain the electoral propaganda approvals, in order to avoid their removals as mentioned in the terms and conditions.

Eng. Al-Shammari pointed out that those who did not obtain the approval, must be informed of the necessity to get the approvals before the end of the registration period to avoid their (campaigning propaganda materials) removals.

It is worth noting that GAM, according to Eng. Faleh, has started receiving candidates' applications to obtain the permits (approvals) for the Parliamentary Elections Campaign of 2010 last Tuesday, providing them with a copy of the terms and conditions regarding the elections campaign.

Eng. Faleh further explained that the declaration and undertaking stated that the candidates are obliged to follow the conditions, which GAM announced, stipulating, among other things, that banners should be removed within 14 days of the conclusion of the campaign, otherwise, GAM is entitled to confiscate the deposit, remove the banners, and request the removal costs, in addition to 25% administrative expenses with no warning or notice, and with no regard to any objections or claims made by the candidate.

Adding that the candidate can refund the amount of deposit after the campaign ends, as long as he or she fully complied with the terms and conditions announced, indicating that the Vocational and Advertising Licensing Department will provide the GAM's departments (regions) with the names of the candidates who obtained the approval to the elections campaigning.

It should be noted that GAM has, earlier, announced the terms and conditions of the campaign publicity, as per Article (6), paragraph (a), number (3), of licensing instructions of advertising modes number (1) for the year 2006.

GAM prevents using any type of posters, and identified the technical specifications of the banners which should be made of lightweight material, and should be placed securely on the walls, buildings and pillars, so that they will not cause any threat to the public safety.

The instructions allowed the candidates to post panels on the circles, crossroads, traffic lights, and in the squares with their names, data, and pictures, as long as they do not impede traffic before pedestrians, or block the vision in front of vehicles or traffic lights, provided that panels' height should not exceed 1.5 m, with a width of 1m; they also should be two-sided and designed in the form of a stand.

GAM also cautioned against putting any banners on the buildings, which distort and conceal their architectural elements; the banners' space must not exceed 5 m2, the vertical distance between the bottom of the banner and the street should not be less than 4.5 m, except for those extending over streets with no passing vehicles or pedestrians underneath.

It should be noted that the instructions disallowed using any type of illuminated signs, or placing any banners in a way that might block the vision of any licensed sign.

The conditions also stressed that the candidates should remove all the banners within two weeks after the campaign ends, with eligibility to refund the amount paid with the consent of the City Deputy Manager for Public Services, and after ensuring that the candidate has already removed the banners in the concerned regions.

GAM calls upon the candidates to comply with the terms and conditions of the elections campaigning, in addition to any supplementary conditions, specified by the Ministry of Interior/ Capital Governor concerning the campaign.

It is worth mentioning that the Elections Law prohibits the candidate from using means of propaganda in the public streets and buildings occupied by the ministries, departments, public and governmental Institutions; the candidate is also prohibited from placing the same on walls, telephone and electricity poles, and any other public property, unless otherwise specified by GAM and the municipality councils.