Jordan Times
Friday, September 24, 2010
‘Gov’t welcomes all media
coverage of November vote’
By Hani Hazaimeh
AMMAN - Any local or international media institution that wishes to cover the
November 9 parliamentary elections is welcome to do so and will have the full
support of the government, an official said Thursday.
“We are very much interested in engaging the media in the election process and
will provide all possible means to help them do their work with utmost freedom.
We want them to reflect the true image of the elections,” Elections Spokesperson
Samih Maaytah told The Jordan Times. He added that journalists who register to
cover the elections will be provided with badges that will allow them access to
voting centres.
“We have asked all local media outlets as well as representatives of foreign
media agencies in Amman to provide us with the names of their representatives
who want to cover the election process. We have already received some names, and
others have yet to provide us with the lists,” Maaytah told The Jordan Times,
adding that any regional or international agency is free to approach the
government if it is interested in observing the elections.
He said the press is an important partner in the democratic process, adding that
the elections media committee will publish all details with regards to media
coverage soon and that a media centre will be established at the Royal Cultural
Centre to help journalists do their job.
“The committee’s office will also be located at the Royal Cultural Centre and
will be at the disposal of journalists whenever needed. They will not be bound
to work in these centres, but will have the freedom to tour whichever polling
centre they would like to cover,” Maaytah added.
Officials previously said that NGOs, most notably the National Centre for Human
Rights, will be allowed to “observe” but not “monitor” the elections.
Maaytah also said yesterday that any claims that the government is supporting
specific candidates at the expense of others are false, stressing that the
government is working to hold fair elections in accordance with the law.
He added that the nomination process was not changed under the temporary
Elections Law issued earlier this year and that the process will be exactly as
it was in the 2007 elections, noting that the application period for candidacy
will begin on October 10 for three days.