MANAMA: Bahrain witnessed overwhelming voting during run-off elections on Saturday with a record turnout by the close of the election’s day.
President of the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission and Executive Director of the elections Abdullah Al Buainain said vowed voters’ massive turnout and keenness to participate in the run-off of the parliamentary and municipal election 2014, noting that the electoral process is going easily and smoothly in all polling centres.
Addressing a press conference, in the presence of the Minister of State for Information Affairs and the Official Spokesperson of the Government Sameera Ebrahim bin Rajab, Al-Buainain said that judges were in the polling centres since early morning, and that all voting centres opened at 08:00 am, adding the voters were waiting outside the centres in the 34 parliamentary constituencies and 21 municipal ones before the opening.
He pointed out that the centres which had recorded high voter turnout during the first round were provided with additional staff and organisers in order to ensure easy electoral process for voters, including those with special needs.
He said that members of the High Elections Committee visited a number of polling centres, and got re-assured about the smoothness of the process, noting that they had reported no difficulties or obstacles.
He described the first round of elections as the “Elections of the General Polling Centres” per excellence for two reasons, namely their closeness to the vital facilities in the kingdom, and threats received by candidates and voters, which urged them to resort to those centres.
Al-Buainain extended sincere congratulations to the kingdom’s leadership and people on the success of the first round of the parliamentary and municipal elections, in which 52.6% of voters participated.
He also commended the tremendous efforts exerted the Minister of State for Information Affairs and the Official Spokesperson of the Government Sameera Ebrahim bin Rajab for the outstanding organisation of the press conference and the successful covering of the electoral process.
Responding to journalists’ questions, Al-Buainain said that the centres which witnessed extremely high voter turnout during the first round were provided with extra staff and data entry specialists to avoid crowding and delay.
He called upon those who complained about violations of the electoral silence to submit them to the High Elections Committee, denying the panel had received any (complaints) so far.
Concerning the tracks dedicated to voters with special needs, he said that they were already there during the first round, but may not have been noticed because of the crowds of voters.
Asked whether there were appeals lodged following the first round, he answered that the High Elections Committee had received a number of appeals, and that the Cassation Court had already issued verdicts concerning some of them, noting that the remaining appeals, and those of the run-off will be examined.