Jordanians looking forward to removal of electoral campaign banners

AMMAN — Jordanians are happy to see the “visual pollution” of campaign banners and posters being taken down from streets across the Kingdom, after polling stations closed on Tuesday.

The Greater Amman Municipality required every list to deposit JD2,000 and sign a pledge guaranteeing compliance with regulations, which include the removal of campaign materials within a week of the vote, a municipal official told The Jordan Times in a recent interview. 

The placement of campaign advertisements, which cluttered the capital’s streets and roundabouts, was criticised by some Jordanians who complained that the posters blocked visibility for motorists and pedestrians. 

Rawan Abu Rayya, a resident of Sweileh in Amman, said she found the proliferation of campaign banners “tiring” on her daily commute to Jabal Luweibdeh. 

“I passed by promotional materials for candidates in Amman’s 5th and 3rd Districts every day,” she told The Jordan Times. “It gets confusing to see all the faces and flashy banners one after another with no break for the eyes.”

Another resident, Sameh Rimawi, said campaign posters must be removed before winter weather arrives in the capital. 

“Some banners on side roads were not properly put up and they swing with a slight wind,” he said.

Um Qais, a resident in Jerash Governorate, some 48km north of Amman, said on Wednesday that campaign organisers had not yet  removed promotional advertisements installed at traffic lights and roundabouts.

“Candidates in Jerash generally do not over-advertise,” she told The Jordan Times, adding that her only complaint was that some candidates had defaced the posters of their rivals.