Five winners in Bahrain’s by-elections; second round on Saturday

Manama: Five new lawmakers have joined Bahrain’s 40-member lower chamber after winning their constituencies, the justice minister has said as he announced on Sunday morning the results of the first round held the day before.

The result leaves nine more seats for grab in the move to replacing the 18 MPs from Al Wefaq who resigned in late February to protest against the way the authorities handled demonstrators.

None of the new winners was a woman even though five women were among the 55 aspirants for the 14 seats left after four candidates were declared winners earlier this month for lack of competitors.

However, three women will be among the 18 candidates who will covet the nine remaining seats in the chamber.

The opposition boycotted the by-elections, saying that the lower chamber needed to have more powers.

Winners of Saturday's poll:

• Ahmad Abdul Wahed Jasem Hassan
• Hassan Eid Bu Khammas
• Abdul Hakeem Ebrahim Al Shimmari
• Salman Al Shaikh Mohammad Al Shaikh
• Khalid Abdali Mohammad Abdul A’al
   

Winners for lack of competitors:

• Sawsan Haji Guloom Taqawi
• Abbas Ali Hassan Al Madhi
• Ali Ahmad Ali Al Durazi
• Jawad Abdullah Abbas Hussain
   

Candidates who will go for the Second Round to be held on October 1:

• Ibtisam Abdul Rahman Hijris Ahmad Vs Hashem Abdul Gaffar Mohammad Al Alawi
• Abbas Abdullah Abdul Hussain Vs Ali Abbas Abdullah Shamtoot
• Jamal Mohammad Saleh Vs Kadhem Ahmad Ebrahim Al Aouinati
• Ali Ahmad Ali Al Haddad Vs Ali Hassan Ahmad Ali
• Khalid Jasem Ali Al Malood Vs Abdul Hamid Abdul Husain Ahmad
• Mohammad Salen Bu Qais Vs Seema Ahmad Ebrahim Al Linjawi
• Sumaya Abdul Rahman Ali Al Jowder Vs Osama Abdul Hamid Abdullah Al Khaja
• Sameeh Ebrahim Abdul Rasool Rajab Vs Ahmad Abdul Rahman Mahmood Al Saati
• Ebrahim Ali Mohammad Al Asfoor Vs Osama Jaber Ahmad Muhanna