Grand electoral season all set to kick-start in Bahrain

TDT | Manama                                                                           

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

The democratic exercises that include heated campaigns, erecting candidates’ billboards, and war of words over electoral agenda are again going to fill the air as Bahrain heads for elections in November 2022.

The interesting political season has kicked off with the election officials declaring on their Instagram account that the voters’ list will be displayed for seven days.

The elections committee has also set three days for the supervisory committees to respond to requests for registration or correction. The committee also offers three days for a voter whose request to appeal before the competent court was rejected; the court will have seven days to decide on electoral appeals.

The elections will be held to elect the parliamentarians (House of Representative members) and members of municipal councils. Up for grabs are 40 seats in the House of Representatives and 30 municipal council seats.

Runoffs will be held in the constituencies where a single candidate alone fails to obtain 50 per cent of the total votes polled. The voters’ turnout during the last elections in 2018 stood at 67 per cent, according to official data, which is an increase from 53pc recorded during the 2014 polls.

The 2018 elections set many records including the highest number of parliamentary candidates getting into the poll fray to become representatives of Bahraini people. Close to 50,000 young men and women also voted in the elections, ensuring the active youth participation in the largest democratic exercise.

The last elections also saw 23 of the 40 incumbent lawmakers contesting the polls to get reelected. As of now, it is unclear as to how many incumbent lawmakers will get into the poll fray to get reelected.

The elections come at a crucial time as the nation is making the best efforts to ensure that the post-pandemic economic recovery is on track. The new parliament will have a major role to play in the Kingdom’s future economic development as well as implementing the welfare scheme from time to time.

Speaking to The Daily Tribune, leading Bahraini businessman Faisal Juma said he will vote in the upcoming elections based on the commitments of each candidate in terms of serving the nation and Bahraini society.

“Credibility is the number one factor. I will only vote for a candidate who has shown his/ her social commitment or performed social roles throughout these years. Right experience and right background are a must.

Undoubtedly, the new Parliamentarians must possess good ideas to take the existing welfare schemes forward,” Juma said. Another Bahraini Siddiq Hameed said he expects more women and youth to join the poll fray.

“I am hopeful that there will be many young candidates contesting in the upcoming elections. In my opinion at least half of the representatives must be below the age of 40. This is very important as new trends in science and technology will emerge as decisive factors in making policy decisions and implementation in the coming days.”

Previously, the Kingdom has held elections in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018.