Polling stations for runoff elections open across Bahrain

Manama, Dec. 1 (BNA): Polling stations across Bahrain opened at 8 o’clock this morning for tens of thousands of Bahraini men and women to cast their ballots in the second round of the parliamentary and municipal elections. Voters will have 12 hours, from 8 am until 8 pm, to elect 31 members of the Council of Representatives and 23 members of the municipal councils who will join the nine parliamentarians and seven councilors elected in the first round on November 24. The runoffs are held between the top two candidates in each constituency where no-contestant secured at least 50 per cent of the votes. Three former lawmakers, including one from the 2002-2006 legislative terms, were r-elected last week. None of the three women who were members of the 2014-2018 Council of Representatives will be in the new one after two did not run and the third did not win enough votes to make it at least to the second round. However, at least three women will be among the members in the new make-up of the Council. Two were elected last Saturday and a third will be from the runoff between two candidates in the Capital Governorate. Nine more women will be contesting for seats in parliament. One woman has been elected as municipal councilor and four more have aspirations to join her today by winning their constituencies. The record number of women who ran in the parliamentary and municipal elections and their inexorable success are a strong indication of the progress that Bahraini women have achieved over the years, strongly backed by the outstanding efforts of the Supreme Council for Women and inspired by the dedication and devotion of its Chairwoman Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa. Voters may cast their ballots in the designated polling station in their constituencies or in any of the 15 general polling stations set up across the Kingdom to facilitate the procedures for them. Public sector employees on duty may leave their work place for up to one hour to cast their ballots.