Bahrainis go to polls amid hope on all sides to impress

Manama, Nov. 23 (BNA): Bahraini men and women will on Saturday cast their ballots to elect the 40 MPs and 30 municipal councilors who will represent them for the next four years. The quadrennial elections will be held for the fifth time without interruption since 2002, the year of the promulgation of the constitution that gave women the right to vote and run in offices. The constitutional changes and the political empowerment of women were among the numerous positive changes promoted by the reform process launched by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa soon after he acceded to power in March 1999 and called for the drafting of the National Action Charter. Elections of MPs and municipal councilors took place in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014. More than 365,000 Bahraini men and women are eligible to cast their ballots to choose from the 293 candidates who are running for parliament seats. The number of people who initially signed up their names was higher, but following the application of the electoral rules, some were ruled out for not fulfilling the requirements set by the commission in charge of the elections. The figure remains the highest in the five elections, indicating the growing commitment of the people of Bahrain to the success of the election as a fine practice of genuine democracy. Women also set their own record this year, scoring the highest number of applications ever. While the number of women who competed for parliamentary seats in 2014 was 22, it went up to 47 this year, before some candidates withdrew from the race. The figure is also another indication of the strong determination and character of Bahraini women who want to build on their previous successes and show once more that they are partners with men in the challenging yet rewarding nation-building process. Hala Al Ansari, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), the top advocate of women’s rights and champion of their empowerment in Bahrain, epitomized the aspirations of Bahraini women. “It is about time for Bahraini women to lead the parliament, especially as more than 40 candidates are running in more than 26 constituencies, most of whom hold advanced academic degrees,” she said last week. “In light of the accomplishments achieved by Bahraini women, such a position would not overwhelm them. We must emphasise that the presence of Bahraini women today in various fields sends a clear message that they can effectively contribute to the progress of the national economy. It is important to pay greater attention to the field work of women alongside their male brothers in parliament.” No woman won in the 2002 elections, but Lateefa Al Gaood became the first woman in the Gulf countries to win a national election in 2006. She was re-elected in 2010. In the 2011 by-elections to replace MPs who left the Council, three women won. In the 2014 elections, three women won their constituencies. Now, there is high anticipation that women will be successful in their bids thanks to greater awareness among voters and more energetic appreciation of what women can achieve in the parliament. The percentage of young people running for office is getting increasingly higher, prompting His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, representative of His Majesty the King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Supreme Council for Youth and Sports Chairman, and Bahrain Olympic Committee President, to praise the vitality of young Bahrainis and to laud their dedication to serving the kingdom through elected offices. “The high number of young candidates reflects the vitality of Bahrain's youth, their patriotism and their earnest desire to work through the legislature to build the future,” he said. “Our young people are always keen to interact on national issues. It is time to see young talents under the dome of parliament, contributing to legislation and monitoring and serving the nation as representatives of the people.” The elections on Saturday will again pit independent candidates against contestants affiliated to various political societies that hope to improve their low 2014 scores. Political societies had some edge in the 2002, 2006 and 2010 elections, but overwhelmingly lost in the 2014 polls as voters believed independent lawmakers had more room for swifter action that does not need the consensus of the whole society. Voters can cast their ballots from 8 am to 8 pm in their 40 constituency polling stations or in any of the 14 general polling centres spread out over Bahrain, from Muharraq in the north to the international circuit beyond Zallaq in the south in order to ease the procedure for those far from home. On-duty public employees can leave their workplace for up to one hour to cast their ballots. A fully-integrated media centre was set up in Manama to assist journalists, reporters and media figures with the coverage of the elections. Several press conferences and open interactions between ministers and senior officials with the media have been planned for Friday evening and Saturday all day. More than 120 journalists have arrived from several countries for the elections. The monitoring of the polls is being conducted by 231 observers fielded by the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) and four NOGOs - Bahrain Transparency Association (BTA), Bahraini Jurists Society (BJS), Bahrain Public Relations Association (BPRA), and Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS). Bahrainis abroad, both residents and short time visitors, voted on November 20 in the 29 diplomatic missions set up by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All ballot casting took place between 8 am and 8 pm local time, with the Japanese capital Tokyo leading the way. The run-off voting in constituencies with no declared winner will be held for Bahrainis overseas on November 27. In Bahrain, the second round will be on December 1.