Al Mutawa Makes a U-Turn, Declining to Run in By-Election, Confirming that the Constituency Is Decided

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com   

Mohammed Al Mutawa, a former municipal council, has made a surprising U-turn, announcing his decision not to run in the upcoming by-election for the first constituency, scheduled for September 7th. The seat became vacant recently.

Al Mutawa, who had initially declared his intention to run, visited businessman Ibrahim Al Shaikh's weekly Majlis, where he revealed his change of heart. He stated that the election is already decided in favour of a specific candidate, though he declined to name the individual.

Before leaving Al Shaikh's Majlis, Al Mutawa commented, "I have not missed any elections since the launch of His Majesty the King's reform project and the start of elections for the Council of Representatives and Municipal Council in 2002. However, today, I announce that I have no intention of running in the by-election for the constituency I previously represented."

Al Mutawa emphasised that the by-election in the vacant constituency is already decided, although he did not reveal the name of the candidate he believes will win. He said, "Despite significant activity in the constituency following the vacancy, this election is decided. Everyone should read between the lines to understand who I am referring to."

Regarding the timing of his announcement, Al Mutawa clarified that this decision was not previously disclosed. He assured that he will continue to visit Al Shaikh's Majlis in the coming weeks and will be present at his campaign headquarters when he announces his candidacy for the by-election.

It's worth noting that the by-election was triggered by the Court of Cassation's decision to revoke the membership of former MP Mohammed Al Hussaini due to his holding of dual citizenship, a violation of Bahraini electoral laws.

The Court of Cassation's ruling has sparked a wave of activity, with several candidates already expressing their intention to run. Among the declared candidates are prominent figures like Dr Essam Al Alawi, businessman Ibrahim Al Shaikh, Khalid Sulaibeekh, Saleh Al Sada, Khawla Al Busmait, Nada bin Shams, Abdullah Al Sehli, Ahmed Al Tamimi, and Shaikh Mohammed Al Qallaf.