It’s appeal time!

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

Poll hopefuls can file appeals over the decisions made by the electoral committees in the next three days as the nomination process came to a close yesterday.

Although the total number of candidates was unavailable before the press time, it is expected to break all records, with 502 filing their nominations by the fourth day itself.

According to electoral records, 420 filed their candidatures in 2018 elections while there were 493 in 2014 poll fray. The first day of filing nominations saw 325 electoral hopefuls submitting their papers, which itself was a record when compared to previous electoral years.

The past five days have seen long queues of potential candidates at electoral supervisory centres, carrying documents and required papers marking the beginning of the Kingdom’s biggest democratic festival.

It is learnt that 20 nominations were rejected till last evening over criminal accusations, address issues, absence of name in the voters’ list as well as lack of Arabic proficiency.

Speaking to members of the media, Issa Sami Al Mannai, the Undersecretary for Justice and Islamic Affairs within the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, said potential candidates can file appeals through the national portal bahrain.bh.

“The electronic appeals service that can be found in the electoral website will be available round the clock during this specific period and the ministry has issued a set of guidelines for the process.”

According to the law, any potential candidate has the right to appeal the decision by the electoral supervisory committee before higher judicial authorities and a decision will be taken by the higher judicial authority within seven days of filing the appeal.

Meanwhile, close to 300 observers belonging to civil societies and non-governmental organisations will be signing up the electoral authorities to perform the role of poll monitors.

The Daily Tribune earlier reported about a hotline being set up by the Elections Committee to support poll candidates infected with Covid-19.

According to Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission President and Election Executive Director Nawaf Abdullah Hamza, a special mechanism has also been developed to allow candidates infected with virus to exercise their constitutional right to run for election and to take precautionary measures in order to maintain the security and health of all.

He highlighted the commitment to uphold citizens’ constitutional rights of choosing their representatives throughout the two decades since the launch of the first legislative term in 2002.

He stressed that the electoral process will be monitored and supervised by the judiciary throughout all its stages, to ensure transparency and the integrity of the elections.

And that the higher committee will continue to cooperate with independent civil societies to monitor the electoral process.

The candidate lists will be displayed for three days, starting today until October 12, during which time potential candidates can challenge the supervisory committees’ decisions.

The committees must issue their final decisions by October 15, which can be challenged in court no later than October 18, and the court rulings must be issued by October 25.

The final list of candidates will be announced on October 26. The Kingdom will head to the polls on November 12 with a run-off fixed on November 19.