Veteran Bahraini MP Al Asoomi ‘out of electoral battle’

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter  

The High Civil Court of Appeal yesterday rejected the appeal filed by four-time lawmaker Adel Al Asoomi against the decision of the electoral supervisory committee, which had earlier dismissed his nomination. 

The electoral committee rejected Mr Al Asoomi’s candidature after accepting the claims in the complaint filed by his opposing candidate Murad Ali Murad regarding discrepancies over residency.  

With Mr Asoomi from the list of candidates, the number of candidates contesting in the First Constituent Seat of the Capital Governorate has been reduced to two. Murad Ali and Muhammad Janahi are the two existing candidates. 

Mr Al Asoomi, an incumbent lawmaker, has been an active member of the parliament and he has raised and highlighted many issues of public concern.  

In the 2002 Bahraini general election, he lost the runoff for the First District of the Capital Governorate with 373 votes for 43.83 per cent, defeated by Saadi Muhammad of Al Menbar Islamic Society. However, Al Asoomi won their rematch in the 2006 polls with 2,383 votes for 68.62pc, a 1,293-vote margin.

In the 2010 elections, he won with 1,878 votes for 65.30pc, followed by a 2014 runoff win with 2,265 votes for 54.50pc, a 374-vote margin over Al Menbar’s candidate Khalid Sulaibikh. He had an easy victory in the 2018 polls from the First Constituent Seat, which covers Hoora and Gudaibiya. 

Well-known across the Arab world, Adel Al Asoomi was re-elected as Arab Parliament Speaker a few days ago becoming the first Bahraini to hold the post for two years. 

Mr Asoomi received 51 votes against 15 votes received by the opponent in a contest to secure the post with UAE lawmaker Mohammed Al Yamahi.

Three other appeals were as well rejected by the court. The appellants are Dr Sharaf Al Mazal, former lawmaker Ali Shamout and lawyer Muhammad Al Othman. 

Earlier, Dr Sharaf had filed nominations for contesting from the Fourth Electoral Constituency in the Northern Governorate while Mr Muhammed filed his papers for the poll battle from Fourth Electoral Constituency in Muharraq Governorate. Mr Ali was a potential candidate from the Sixth Electoral Constituency in the Capital Governorate. 

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