An anti-corruption watchdog that has been monitoring parliament and municipal elections since 2002 is once again deploying its observers ahead of the national polls in November.
The Bahrain Transparency Society (BTS) continues to receive applications from citizens who have enrolled to be trained as election monitors.
The society had monitored the 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 polls and released reports highlighting shortcomings during the process.
“We have opened registration for Bahrainis who fit the eligibility criteria as poll monitors – which includes no criminal record and political affiliation,” BTS adviser Sharaf Al Mousawi told the GDN.
“The society has so far received more than 60 applications from Bahrainis and expect to train 100 observers for the polls this year.”
Bahrain will hold parliamentary and municipal council elections on November 12 from 8am to 8pm, with a run-off to be held on November 19.
The theme of this year’s poll is: “We vote for Bahrain.”
The monitoring process usually begins from the moment election campaigning starts – which is a month before polling day. Observers and media members are allowed to monitor polling booths and even the ballot counting process to ensure transparency.
“Similar to previous years, the society will release a report highlighting the violations registered by its monitors,” added Mr Al Mousawi.
“However, this year our focus remains to monitor social media content that is already being promoted by potential candidates.
“During the 2018 elections, there was not much focus on social media compared to the present period, when it’s being used more openly by potential parliament and municipal elections candidates.”
Rules stipulate that an election monitor must be a Bahraini aged 18 and above, without a criminal record or political affiliation. They will be issued valid identity cards that allows them to be present in different voting centres across the four governorates.
There are 40 constituencies or electoral districts: 12 in the Northern Governorate, 10 each in Capital and Southern and eight in Muharraq.
In elections to the three municipal councils – the Capital Governorate being run by the nominated Capital Trustees Board – expatriates and GCC nationals who own property can cast their votes to select their area councillor.
MPs and councillors will be elected for a four-year term.
During the previous polls, BTS had issued a professional code of ethics for candidates that contained the ‘dos and don’ts’ for their managers, a list of poll violations and rules, and campaigning norms.
The guideline also mentioned that influencing voters through gifts or bribes is a severe violation of rules and stated that places of worship should not be used to promote poll campaigns.
Other groups monitoring the polls are the National Institution for Human Rights and the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS).
BHRWS secretary general Faisal Fulad told the GDN they will be the only non-governmental organisation that will monitor polls at Bahrain missions abroad.
Elections (for parliament only) will be held in Bahrain embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions abroad on November 8, and in cases that require a run-off, the re-election will be held on November 15.
Voter turnout in 2018 was 67 per cent in parliamentary polls and 70pc in municipal council elections, with 244,863 people exercising their right.
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