The National Election Commission is monitoring the advertising campaigns of Federal National Council candidates in all emirates and will take legal action against anyone who breaches regulations.
The NEC aimed to preserve the integrity of the electoral process, reported Al Ittihad, the Arabic language sister paper of The National.
Candidates were required to provide information and slogans for voters objectively and rationally, away from hyperbole and exaggeration.
Candidates who are officials in the federal or local government, or a military officer, were allowed to ask for leave. They could also assign an agent from those enrolled in the Electoral College of the emirate to which they belong to attend the polling and counting processes on their behalf.
The NEC said that candidates’ obligations and duties included strengthening the sense of national belonging, to work for the public interest, to maintain the values and principles of society as well as the adherence to rules and regulations and respect of public order.
Campaigns must not include any provocative ideas or any calls to provoke religious, sectarian, tribal or ethnic intolerance. They are required to regularly disclose their campaign funds and to provide regular statements of the funds to the electoral committee in their emirate, and to deliver to the NEC any amounts obtained in a way that violates the electoral regulations, and not to offer any in-kind or material gifts to voters.
The NEC said that it is the duty of candidates to remove any irregularities related to electoral advertising and to repair any damage at their own expense, and to removal all propaganda-related materials within a week of the announcement of the final results of the elections.
The NEC indicated that if a candidate commits any violation that would prejudice the conduct of the electoral process, the National Election Commission can impose sanctions including withdrawal of the license granted to the candidate’s election propaganda, fines and cancellation of the nomination.
http://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/national-election-commission-to...
