Gulf | Oman
Record numbers vote in Shura polls
Urban voters, especially women, turned up in large numbers to elect representatives for sixth term of the 84-seat Majlis Al Shura.
- By Sunil K. Vaidya, Bureau Chief
- Published: 18:50 October 27, 2007
- There were more women queuing up to vote compared to men for the elections to the Majlis Al Shura in Oman.
- Image Credit: Reuters
Muscat: Urban voters, especially women, turned up in large numbers to elect representatives for sixth term of the 84-seat Majlis Al Shura.
It was a heartening change from the country's first open elections held in 2003 when urban voters had shown complete apathy.
This time, the 12-hour voting started at 7am to decide fate of 631 candidates (one died before elections) and within an hour all the three polling stations in the capital - Baushar, Muttrah and Muscat - were virtually swarming with voters. Women formed serpentine queues that extended outside the respective school premises where polling was being held.
"We had a steady flow of voters that increased significantly after 9am," Khalfan Bin Mohammad Al Ghaithi, an election officer at the Muttrah constituency's polling station at the Ruwi Girls' School, told Gulf News.
There were more women queuing up to vote compared to men, he said: "If you take a rough estimate so far there have been three women voting for every one man turning up here."
When Gulf News approached, some women were reluctant to comment but the younger voters were more vocal. It was the first time for 24-year-old Mariam Khalfan Hassan, a private sector travel industry employee, who said she was aware about the value of her vote.
"The Shura in the country is creating the right progress and every citizen should take part in its evolvement," she said.
Another first time voter, Zahra Al Lawati, accompanied her mother, Khadija Hassan, to the polling station.
She said that the awareness campaign carried out within her tribe egged her on to vote.
"I wasn't aware of elections the last time but this time our community carried out meetings to make people aware of the importance of the Shura, therefore we both decided to vote," said Zahra, who added that the Shura was getting better and better with each election in the country.
Zahra had no qualms about revealing that she would vote for the candidate from her tribe - Fuad Jaffer Al Sajwani. Zahra's mother also voted so that Fuad can go to Shura.
Talking about women voting in large numbers, Raheela Al Riyami, twice winner from Baushar, expressed happiness at the trend but added: "That doesn't mean women will vote for women candidates only." She had won in 2001 also when the elections were selective.
In the first open elections in 2003, only two women were elected to the Council, although 45 per cent of the country's population comprised women.
Sayyid Khalid Bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Head of Election preparatory Committee, told Gulf News that the heavy rush of voters, which caused traffic jams in Ruwi, gradually petered out as the day wore off.
"It was an excellent start and the overwhelming response to voting the whole day through out the country and capital symbolised the success," he said.
Sayyid Khalid confessed that the voting did not go without complaints. "We can't say that we didn't have complaints for such a big exercise, but they were not so big that we cannot deal with them," he said, adding that objections were of a minor nature and were sorted out without hassles.
The success of Shura in Oman can be gauged from the registration of voters - 388,683 - which was much more than in 2003, when only 262,000 registered.
The authorities here had predicted nearly 70 per cent voting before the elections but looking at the trend in some of the 102 polling stations across 61 wilayats, it could cross that estimate also.
Share this article
Related Articles
-
Shura system has evolved perfectly, says minister
Shura system has evolved perfectly, says minister
-
Tribes 'select' popular candidates
Tribes 'select' popular candidates
-
Oman sees girl power in council vote
Girl power in Omani council elections as hundreds of women cast their vote
-
Candidate dies ahead of poll
Candidate dies ahead of poll
-
Residents say tribal voting is ideal for representation
Residents say tribal voting is ideal for representation
-
Profile: Omani council elections
Here's what you need to know about the Omani council polls
-
Candidates battle it out in Oman poll
632 candidates to battle it out in Oman council poll
Popular in News
News Editor's choice
-
Protest by rights group fails to stop gory Nepal festival
200,000 animals set to be sacrificed
-
Top Korean model found dead in Paris
Kim was an accomplished painter and video filmmaker who had a solo show of her artwork in Seoul
-
Slain journalist Pearl's widow busy with new film
Widow busy producing documentary on lives of inspirational women
