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THE kingdom’s residents are being urged to cast their votes this Saturday as candidates vie for support to win seats in the 2014 parliament and municipal elections.
The nationwide campaign was launched in September by the Elections Media Committee under the slogan ‘With your vote, You can’, encouraging Bahrainis to voice their concerns and exercise their political rights via SMS services, a 12-hour hotline, an interactive website and social networking sites.
There are 419 candidates to choose from, with 226 running to become members of parliament and 153 contenders entering the race for municipal council.
More than 350,000 Bahrainis are eligible to vote for the lawmakers and municipal councillors that will be making a difference in the kingdom over the next four years, of which naturalised expats are also invited to take part.
Expats owning property in Bahrain are entitled to vote but only in the municipal elections. As for expats with Bahraini passports, they are allowed to vote in both the municipal and parliamentary elections.
Although a bilingual website, www.vote.bh, was created to help candidates and voters learn about the rules and regulations, the large campaign billboards plastered around Bahrain are mostly in Arabic.
Some of the kingdom’s naturalised expats do not speak or read Arabic and are finding it difficult to grasp what many of the candidates are fighting for.
Parliamentary candidate Nabeel Ali Lababidi, 57, from Saar, believes expat nationals should not let the language barrier deter them and that their vote is as important as the Bahrainis.
Mr Lababidi, a business owner, said: “In my area, there are many expats with Bahraini passports and property owners that want to vote but don’t know who to vote for. I advise the property owners to go and talk to the candidates in their areas.
“The municipalities, for example, take care of the streets and homes. Voting for the wrong candidate could impact you. You don’t want someone who will say ‘I will put up a mall next to your house’ do you? You want someone who will understand your needs, what’s good for you and for the community.
“This goes for the passport holders as well. It is your right and privilege to vote. The billboards may be in Arabic and perhaps you do not speak it or read it, but all the signs have contact information on them and many candidates will welcome the call.
“I get many calls and am glad to sit down be it one-on-one or in a group to explain what I am hoping to achieve.
“The nationalised expats should really get involved because they live here too. They chose this country to be their home and they have every right to be a part of the change.
“I feel the expat community is serious about voting and wants to be heard. Whether you voted or not it will impact you. Once the parliament makes a law it will not differentiate between who voted or didn’t, it will become a law that will change the course of things so you might as well be a part of it.”
Through his campaign, the father-of-three hopes to preserve civil and personal liberties of the people, help improve the economy, create rehab centres of children with mental and physical disabilities and focus on improving the environment. He also wants to work on achieving peace and tranquillity in Bahrain.
Mr Lababidi is a naturalised Bahraini himself and was able to run for parliament as he has been a passport holder for more than 10 years. Also, as long as a candidate is fluent in reading, writing and speaking Arabic, is 30-years or older and holds no criminal record or was rehabilitated, then he or she could run. This goes the same for municipal candidates.
As for voters, they should be 20-years-old and should not have criminal records unless they have been rehabilitated. Voters should also carry original smart cards, passport or a polls card issued by the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs in case a passport is not available.
After casting their ballot, the passport will be stamped by the official 2014 Election logo.
Voters can cast their ballots at any of the 31 polling stations’, depending on their governorates, or at the 10 general polling stations set up across Bahrain between 8am to 8pm.
Judge Khalid Ajjaji, a member of the high elections committee, said that 301 observers would be monitoring the polls and eight civil societies have applied to have representatives to oversee the electoral process.
In cases there is no clear winner in any constituency, a second round is to be held one week later on November 29.
Bahrain had its first parliamentary elections in 2002 after almost 30 years of constitutional hiatus. Elections were subsequently held in 2006 and 2010.
For further information, contact the hotline on 77277277.
