Appeals being filed after rejection of candidatures for upcoming Bahrain election

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

Many poll hopefuls filed their appeals yesterday after their nominations were rejected by the electoral committee.

This follows the committee rejecting many candidatures over criminal accusations, address issues, absence of name in the voters’ list as well as lack of Arabic proficiency.

Among the prominent citizens whose candidatures were rejected was Hassan Rajab and Hamid Samir, who filed the nomination to represent the Second Electoral Constituency of the Capital Governorate.

Former lawmaker Ali Shamout’s candidature was as well rejected.

Saeed Al Sammak, who filed the nomination to represent the Sixth Electoral Constituency in the Capital Governorate, also had his candidature rejected while Isa Rabie’s (Eighth Electoral Constituency) nomination was subjected to rejection by the electoral authorities.

It is learnt that eight electoral appeals were filed in the Capital Governorate while seven appeals were filed in the Southern Governorate.

Meanwhile, candidate Murad Ali Murad lodged a complaint against the candidature of Adel Al Asoomi, alleging that there is a discrepancy with regard to the residential address he has produced before the electoral committee.

Speaking to members of the media earlier, 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.

In the meanwhile, close to 300 observers belonging to civil societies and non-governmental organisations will be taking up the electoral role to function as poll monitors.

According to Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission President and Election Executive Director Nawaf Abdullah Hamza, the authorities will be striving to ensure 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 has 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.

Among the 561 candidates contesting in 40 parliamentary and 30 municipal council seats, 107 are women, creating a milestone in the empowerment of women within the democratic process.

The candidate lists will be displayed until today and the potential candidates can challenge the supervisory committees’ decisions till evening.

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.