Candidates express fears over polls transparency
Published: 21 November 2006
CANDIDATES yesterday expressed fears about transparency at Bahrain’s 10 general polling stations, at which people will be able to vote irrespective of which constituency they belong to.
Candidates told election officials that they and their representatives would not be able to go to all 10 general polling stations, as well as to those in their respective constituencies.
High Elections Committee executive director Wael Buallay said that since the deadline had passed, the candidates could not register more representatives, but said that the law probably wouldn’t have allowed them to have 10 anyway.
Candidates express fears over polls transparency
Published: 21 November 2006
CANDIDATES yesterday expressed fears about transparency at Bahrain’s 10 general polling stations, at which people will be able to vote irrespective of which constituency they belong to.
Candidates told election officials that they and their representatives would not be able to go to all 10 general polling stations, as well as to those in their respective constituencies.
High Elections Committee executive director Wael Buallay said that since the deadline had passed, the candidates could not register more representatives, but said that the law probably wouldn’t have allowed them to have 10 anyway.
“One representative for each candidate has been approved and we are currently looking at whether to approve more for candidates who submitted more names,” he said.
However, Mr Buallay added that it was unlikely that any more names would be approved.
He did, however, note the concern of candidates and said that these rules may be changed during the next elections.
The 40 regular polling stations will be specific for the different constituencies. The 10 general polling stations will be open to all eligible candidates.
Mr Buallay added, however, that civil societies, including the Bahrain Transparency Society, would be present at these extra polling stations.
He assured the candidates that all votes counting will be done under the supervision of judges and that candidates can be present to monitor.
“The candidates, or their representatives, can be present at the counting as long as they are a certain distance away so that they do not interfere with the work flow,” said Mr Buallay.
Candidate Amina Abbas Ghuloom Redha, contesting for the Capital, constituency four, said that she would have submitted more names as representatives had she known that more than one would be accepted.
“We would have submitted 10 so that we could be at each of these general stations,” she said.
“They specifically told me that only one would be accepted and that extra names were just optional.”
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