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Bahrain to reduce voting age to 19 from 20 during next parliamentary poll

The voting age in Bahrain would be reduced to 19 instead of 20 in the 2010 parliamentary and municipal elections, an activist said on Tuesday.

  • Staff Report
  • Published: 15:31 July 22, 2008
  • Gulf News

Manama: The voting age in Bahrain would be reduced to 19 instead of 20 in the 2010 parliamentary and municipal elections, an activist said on Tuesday.

Saeed Adnan Jalal, a member of the Bahrain Youth Society, told Gulf News the society had reached an agreement with the leadership in 2006 to gradually bring down the voting age, and in the last election the voting age was reduced from 21 years to 20 years, and it will come down to 19 years in 2010 and finally 18 in 2014 elections.

"We met King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa before the amendments of the Political Rights Law in 2006 and he revealed the plan that is also supported by the government," he said.

Jalal said that in years to come, the kingdom and citizens would have better democratic experience, so even 18-year-old citizens should be given their political rights.

"Giving such right [to] youth will associate them in the decision-making and enable them more responsible."

Amendment

Jalal said that the society was optimistic that the government would keep their promise and submit a Bill for the amendment of the law to the parliament to reduce the voting age to 19.

He said that the society would lobby youth activists and politicians to push for the implementation of the plan.

If the plan is activated, 24,000 citizens can enjoy their voting rights, according to Bahrain's last census.

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