Voters have been warned not to accept any form of bribes from election candidates ... be it in the form of cash, gifts or favours.
A statement was issued by the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) cautioning people, as well as Parliament and municipal council candidates, against ‘money in politics.’
The nation goes to the polls on November 12, with a run-off scheduled for November 19.
“So far, citizens have reported three bribe attempts in three separate governorates,” BHRWS secretary general Faisal Fulad told the GDN.
“A bribe can be anything from giving money to someone to gifting them a fridge in return for their vote,” he explained. “There are laws in every country banning the bribing of voters.
“We received reports about individuals calling different candidates, on behalf of a group of voters, offering to deliver a certain number of votes in exchange for material benefits.
“These voters promise to cast their ballots in favour of the candidate who is willing to offer the most.”
Mr Fulad explained that people who solicit donations from candidates may be driven by economic hardship and look for ways to profit from elections but they must be made aware of voting laws and the possible cost to their liberty.
As far as candidates are concerned, the former Shura Council member claimed that some campaigns were being incentivised by ‘unethical’ as well as illegal ways.
“Some candidates have suggested that they will distribute their parliamentary salaries to constituents – this counts as bribe,” he warned. “Others have set up play areas for youngsters in order to get the support of parents. We do not condone the taking advantage of children for political ends.
“What should really matter to voters is the candidate’s election programme, platform and the changes they will propose once they are in office.”
He remarked that the number of reports of alleged election fraud had risen since the previous elections because the number of hopefuls had increased significantly.
“This year, 561 people have declared the intent to run for elections when it was 300 at most in previous legislative terms,” he added.
According to Bahraini election law, those who commit electoral fraud could be jailed a maximum of two years and fined up to BD2,000.
Candidates cannot disburse gifts, donations, or monetary or material aid to any voter, whether it is gifted directly or through someone else. It is also forbidden for voters to request gifts, donations, or aid from candidates in return for their votes.
The GDN has previously reported allegations of candidates bribing voters by offering to renovate their homes or paying for their groceries.
In 2014, poll monitors documented some candidates offering cash, electronics and house repairs in exchange for votes, as well as paying homeowners to display their campaign banners.
Similar cases have been reported in the 2002, 2006 and 2010 polls, while some candidates in the past are alleged to have used Ramadan majlises to spread election propaganda and distribute gifts to influence voters.
Election rules stipulate that any candidate trying to bribe voters will be referred to the Public Prosecution, which has set up a special committee to investigate alleged electoral crime – including bribery and vote-rigging.
A total of 344,713 citizens have been confirmed eligible to vote in the 2022 national elections.
The theme of this year’s poll is: ‘We vote for Bahrain’.
Voters will elect 40 MPs and 30 councillors in three governorates with the Capital Trustees Board appointed by His Majesty King Hamad.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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