JEDDAH: In the lead up to the start of the election campaign season for candidates participating in the third municipal elections, some observers have called on the general election committees to lift the ban on the publication of the photographs of male candidates, but not female candidates.

Speaking to local media, they said that seeing a photograph of the candidate is the best way to recognize him as there is a large similarity in the names of candidates.

However, they added: "We strongly respect our Saudi tradition of not publishing photos of women in public places."

A candidate in the fifth constituency who preferred anonymity said that two of his cousins have the same three first names which might confuse voters. He also said that no international law regarding elections anywhere in the world bans the publication of candidates' photos.

Another candidate in the third constituency said that the decision to ban official photographs of candidates throughout the election process will create embarrassment and potentially even level objections if any voter takes a private photo of a candidate and publishes it on social media, for example."In this sense, a photo of a candidate may be published without his knowing, registering a violation against him in the course of official proceedings."

Voter Mohammad Ibrahim said the ban on the publishing of photos of the candidates will continue to make them unknown to the public, even though some of them deserve to be known and voted for.

Nasser Al-Zaid, another voter, pointed out that for this reason candidates with good financial background have an edge over those who don't.

"They can afford to establish a headquarters and be known by the public in this manner, and can draft an election platform that will attract voters to their headquarters to better know them personally. Candidates with poor finances cannot compete with such a candidate," he felt.