Poll monitors hint at rigging
Published: 4th December 2006
ELECTION monitors in Bahrain claimed there was circumstantial evidence to support a claim there may have been irregularities that helped Sunni Islamists win seats in parliament.
The incoming parliament is dominated by religious groups who are split between Islam’s Sunni and Shi’ite sects.
Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS) vice-secretary general, Dr Abdulla Aldeerazi, said it appeared at least three liberal opposition candidates were defeated in suspicious circumstances in Saturday’s runoff election.
Information Minister Dr Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar has downplayed previous reports of irregularities, saying the vote was largely fair and problems were minor.
Poll monitors hint at rigging
Published: 4th December 2006
ELECTION monitors in Bahrain claimed there was circumstantial evidence to support a claim there may have been irregularities that helped Sunni Islamists win seats in parliament.
The incoming parliament is dominated by religious groups who are split between Islam’s Sunni and Shi’ite sects.
Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS) vice-secretary general, Dr Abdulla Aldeerazi, said it appeared at least three liberal opposition candidates were defeated in suspicious circumstances in Saturday’s runoff election.
Information Minister Dr Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar has downplayed previous reports of irregularities, saying the vote was largely fair and problems were minor.
But the opposition won just two of 11 runoff races on Saturday, leaving them three seats short of a majority in parliament.
Dr Aldeerazi, whose organisation monitored the elections in a joint committee with the Bahrain Transparency Society, said there were widespread reports of soldiers being ordered to vote for pro-government candidates, as well as some 8,000 floating voters without addresses who were reportedly sent to tip the balance in the tightest races.
The allegations surround the 10 polling stations that opposition groups and election watchers alleged were set up to manipulate the outcome.
Government officials had said the stations were set up as a convenience so voters would not have to travel to their home constituencies to vote.
Dr Aldeerazi said three candidates from the National Democratic Action Society (Wa’ed) – of which he is a board member – appeared en route to victory, but were defeated by thousands of late-emerging votes stemming from these general centres.
“There is circumstantial evidence. It’s very difficult to prove this, but the signs are there,” he said.
Dr Aldeerazi says the fact that international monitors were not allowed to observe the vote also arouses suspicion.
In one hotly contested race, he cast doubt over the victory of Isa Abu Al Fatah, a member of the pro-government Al Menbar group, against opposition candidate and Wa’ed member Abdulrahman Al Nuaimi in Muharraq constituency four.
He said preliminary results from the candidates’ home constituency showed Mr Al Nuaimi leading by 741 votes.
However, late-emerging ballots from the general centres went overwhelmingly to Mr Al Fatah by 1,450 to 330, said Dr Aldeerazi.
The final results gave Mr Al Fatah 3,890 votes to Mr Al Nuaimi’s 3,484.
“This puts a question mark on these general centres,” Dr Aldeerazi added.
Bahrain’s ‘s second parliamentary and municipal elections under reforms spearheaded by the National Action Charter have received the unanimous backing of the European Union (EU).
A declaration by the EU presidency on behalf of its members said it welcomed the elections and the increased turnout compared to 2002, when four groups boycotted the process.
“The EU welcomes the parliamentary elections in the Kingdom of Bahrain,” it said.
“The higher turnout compared to the previous elections held in 2002 shows that the Bahraini people have embraced the importance of the electoral process in developing a democratic state.
“The EU is convinced that the elections have further consolidated the democratic process in the Kingdom of Bahrain.”
© Gulf Daily News
