Manama: Activists are beginning to have concerns about the forthcoming elections after a fifth candidate carried his constituency four weeks before the national polls.
Abdullah Al Dossary, an independent candidate, was declared winner of the fourth constituency of the Southern Governorate after his sole challenger Mohammad Al Dossary, a distant relative, pulled out of the race "following consultations with family members".
All five candidates were members of the 2006-2010 lower chamber and their re-election means that at least 12.5 per cent of the former MPs will keep their seats in the 2010-2014 lower chamber.
Unprecedented
Latifa Al Gaood, an independent candidate, Abdul Jalil Khalil, representing Al Wefaq, Bahrain's largest society, Adel Al Mouawda, lawmaker for Al Asala, the Salafi group, Khamis Al Rumaihi, an independent member, have been declared winners of their constituencies more than four weeks before the polling.
Their victory means that 18,380 voters will not be casting their ballots on October 23 or one week later, the date for the second round needed to decide clear winners if no candidate secures at least 50 per cent of votes.
Activists are now worried that this unprecedented happenings could affect the spirit of elections and defeat one of their objectives.
"Elections are meant to enhance competition and assert the opinion of the majority," Fareed Gazi, a lawyer and former MP, said. "We are now worried that people lose their enthusiasm for elections. If more candidates in without voters going to the polls, we might be heading towards a catastrophic issue of elections."
