Abu Dhabi: The country will use e-voting in the forthcoming Federal National Council elections, Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for FNC Affairs, said while defending the e-voting as a secure and efficient system.
Dr Gargash's remarks came after Bahrain banned electronic voting in the November 25 municipal and parliamentary polls.
"Bahrain's decision not to use electronic voting in their upcoming elections is not in any way a reflection of the efficiency of the system. E-voting is used worldwide and is recognised as being a secure, efficient and more convenient method of voting for the electorate," Dr Gargash told Gulf News yesterday.
Controversy
Bahrain decided on Saturday to annul e-voting after Opposition parties said such methods are an aim to rig the vote and disenfranchise the country's Shiite majority, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Atiyatallah Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, said after a meeting with several political parties some of whom had complained electronic voting was unfair.
The National Election Committee (NEC) has approved 6,689 Electoral College members. Each emirate is allowed to nominate at least 100 times as many Electoral College members as its number of the Federal National Council (FNC) representatives.
Dr Gargash, also Head of NEC, said that the completion of the Electoral College membership process is a critical step in not only the FNC elections but also in building political participation throughout the country. "The aim of these elections is to provide a new platform for talented nationals to rise within the political structure, and have a say in shaping the future of their nation," Dr Gargash said.
He added that the Committee would soon start contacting the Electoral Colleges members to inform them about the objectives and procedures of the election process.
The Electoral College of every emirate would in turn be responsible for electing half the members of the 40-member FNC.
Electoral College members can contest the FNC seats allocated to their emirate, provided they are qualified for the position. NEC will supervise the elections scheduled to take place before the end of this year.
Inquiry
- The Electoral College members were requested to contact the National Election Committee on 02 600541001 to update their details or inquire about the election process.
