Muscat: Attempts to bribe voters would invite a fine of 1000 Omani riyals and a jail term of at least one year, according to Shaikh Dr Shihab Bin Ahmad Al Jabri, Adviser at the Ministry of Interior for Legal Affairs.
In the last two elections there have been sporadic complaints about attempts to buy votes and some voters even refrained from voting out of fear of being branded "vote sellers".
Therefore, the Interior Ministry seems to have decided to come down heavy on those who buy votes or even sell votes during the Majlis Ashura elections to be held in October this year.
Al Jabri explained the the legal aspects of the system for the Shura elections in the country during a familiarisation programme organised by the Interior Ministry to create awareness about the use of the new electronic polling system via the ID.
The programme was presented by Khalid Bin Hilal Al Busaidy, Director General of Border Affairs and Chairman of the Preparatory Committee of the Seventh term Shura Elections.
A detailed account of the system was made by Sayyida Tamadhur Bint Badr al Busaidi, Director of Electoral Affairs.
She explained about voter identification, registration and transfer of ballot rights from one wilayat to another during the talk at the Interior Ministry.
Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Sinawi, Director of Information Technology at the Ministry of Interior, spoke about the technical aspects of the electronic polling system.
He gave a briefing about digital linkage of walis offices and civil status centres, a feature that will prevent repletion of voting.
Lt. Salim Bin Sulaiman Al Kindi of the Royal Oman Police outlined a plan for Mobile Electoral Units, saying that 16 such units have been deployed in different parts of the Sultanate to ensure the registration of voters.
