ELECTION fever has gripped Bahrain with all 40 constituencies registering at least one candidate each for Parliamentary and municipal elections.
Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister Nawaf Al Maawda yesterday said 17 per cent of candidates registered so far were women.
He said the electoral process has been proceeding smoothly and in an organised manner across the four supervisory centres in all four governorates.
Mr Al Maawda was speaking as he toured Al Hidaya Al Khalifiya Secondary School for Boys – the supervisory centre for the Muharraq Governorate.
“We had a total of 325 candidates filing their nominations on the first day and we have witnessed good turnout on the second day too,” he said.
“All constituencies across Bahrain – for both Parliament and municipal councils – were covered by hopeful candidates on the second day, which shows that electoral process is on the right track. The awareness of Bahrainis – men, women and youth – is evident in the large number of candidates seeking to contest polls.”
Seventy-seven poll hopefuls filed their candidacy yesterday, with 55 contesting for Parliament and 22 for municipal councils. A total of 344,713 voters are eligible to cast their ballots for the Parliament and municipal elections on November 12, authorities announced last night.
Mr Al Maawda said several Bahraini women have submitted their candidacy in the first two days.
The minister later toured the Khawla Secondary Girls School, the supervisory centre for the Capital Governorate, and praised Bahraini volunteers for their efforts in ensuring the smooth processing of applications.
Mr Al Maawda thanked volunteers and encouraged all Bahrainis to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming polls next month.
“Despite the large number of hopefuls flocking to registration centres to apply for candidacy, all the applications have been successfully processed,” he told the GDN. “This has been made possible, thanks to all individuals who volunteered at the election centres.”
The minister noted that 17pc of candidates thus far have been women, adding that this “shows the eagerness of Bahraini women to participate and exercise their constitutional right.”
He said candidates continued to submit their applications and the window for appealing rejections has not been opened yet.
Asked about caps on advertising budgets, he emphasised that there was no ceiling as long as candidates followed municipal and election promotion laws.
Candidates for Parliament and municipal polls will be allowed to file nominations until Sunday at designated centres in all four governorates.
The kingdom goes to polls next month to elect 40 members of Parliament and 30 councillors in three governorates with the Capital Trustees Board appointed by His Majesty King Hamad. The run-off round is scheduled for November 19.
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