FNC election campaign rules laid out

SHARJAH // Sectarianism and intolerance have no place in campaigns for the Federal National Council polls, the head of Sharjah’s election organising body has said.

Mansour bin Nassar, head of the emirate’s National Election Committee, said candidates should get their messages across in advertisements and posters without being offensive or disrespectful of social values.

“Every candidate has the right to promote himself freely provided that he adheres to values and community principles,” said Mr bin Nassar, at a meeting with Sharjah Municipality.

“The campaign should not have ideas exploiting religious sectarianism or intolerance, or that offend others in a direct or indirect way.”

The meeting also discussed the placement of candidates’ advertisements around Sharjah before the October elections.

“Placement of campaign adverts should not affect motorists on the roads or pedestrians,” Mr bin Nassar said.

“The municipality will monitor advertisement numbers and placement and the content of the advertisement.”

He said inspectors would ensure candidates put up posters only within the times allowed by the committee.

Mr bin Nassar said candidates who withdrew from the elections had to remove their advertisements within a week, and those who stayed in the race should remove theirs within a week of the results being announced.

He urged all candidates to follow the rules and help to preserve the aesthetic appeal of the emirate.​

Sharjah resident Yaqoub Al Hamadi said that having posters plastered around the city was an eyesore and inappropriate.

“Residents or candidates should not put their announcements or advertisements at random locations,” said Mr Al Hamadi, an Emirati teacher. “They should use the designated signs offered by the municipality to keep everything in order.”

Registration for the the FNC elections opens on August 16 and runs until August 20. Candidates must be at least 25 years old on election day on October 3, literate and a citizen of the emirate they live in, and have a certificate of good conduct.

More than 225,000 Emiratis are eligible to vote or stand as candidates, compared with 135,308 at the last election in 2011. More than two thirds are under 40, and nearly half are women.

Sharjah Municipality has recently begun a campaign to regulate the use of signs, including temporary ones that direct traffic to weddings and funerals. It has asked those using them to remove them after the event, as they often confused motorists.

“Having the wedding or funeral announcements on traffic signs represents a big risk as they hide vital information on the traffic signs,” said the municipality’s Yaqoub Al Zaroni.

He urged residents to use official signs that are available from the Sharjah Suburbs Committee for such occasions.