HAIL: Twenty-two male and four female candidates are competing for six seats in the Hail municipal council.

In a recent poll, candidates confirmed they have been preparing their electoral platforms and campaigns in accordance with regulations for quite some time should they be selected as final candidates.

Male candidates have also refused to be photographed as part of their campaign in keeping with the rules and regulations of the elections, which prohibit the publication of photos of candidates.

Saad Al-Thuweini, media director at the Hail municipality, said the purpose of not allowing photographs is to give the female candidates a level-playing field and to ensure male candidates are not given more power than their female counterparts.

A number of candidates running for municipal council members in Hail called for equity in the number of candidates in the eight provinces in order to ensure equality in distribution and meeting the needs of provinces with a high population density.

Candidates were surprised with the announcement of names on Sunday, which allocated eight members for each district, with the exception of Baq’aa and Turba, which were allocated 12 and 11 members, respectively.

According to a source at the Hail municipality, “eight members will be elected, while four members will be appointed.”