Nine of the fourteen constituencies contested in Saturday’s bye-elections in Bahrain are to be contested again on 1st October. By the rules of the elections they will be re-run, because there was not a fifty percent majority for any candidate in these constituencies. In the next round, only the top two candidates will stand in each of these districts.
The bye-elections were called for 18 of the 40 seats in the Lower House of Parliament following the resignation in February from these seats by all the former Wefaq Members of Parliament. Four of these 18 seats were won uncontested earlier this month.
Saturday’s bye-elections faced problems of intimidation by groups trying to persuade Bahrainis to boycott the poll. Rioters and vandals tried to spread chaos and create an atmosphere to keep voters from reaching their local polling centers.
Among areas hit by these disturbances was for instance Sanabis, where vandals created a large oil spill in the area of a polling center at a girls’ school immediately prior to the opening of the polls. Another area hit by disruption was Bilad Al Qadim, where a group of vandals blocked roads and streets leading to another girl’s school when the polls were opening. Security forces came three times to clear the area of trouble.
In areas where there weren’t disturbances, the voter turnout was high for a bye-election. Constituencies including Hamad Town and Sanad had turnout of at least 40 percent.
But where there were disturbances voter turnout was low in many of the constituencies, such as those for Sanabis, Bilad al Qadim, and A’ali, where some voters had their cars damaged as they went to vote by gangs of vandals throwing bricks and large rocks.
As has already been reported, voting of the bye-election leaves the full Parliament representing more than 50 percent of the population.
“What is clear is that in areas where Bahrainis were allowed to freely exercise their democratic right, turnout was high, which is a strong foundation on which to drive forward democracy in Bahrain. However, what is also clear is that in areas where voters had rocks thrown at them, road blocks put in their way and where they suffered sickening intimidation turnout was low,” an IAA spokesman, said.
“But as we have said all along, those candidates and voters who braved the threats and attacks are a credit to Bahrain and it will be they who take forward democracy in a Parliament which has the majority popular support.”
“A majority of the people of Bahrain have voted for Parliamentary democracy, rather than politics of the street.”