Manama: Bahrain’s social development ministry has annulled the medical society’s elections and called for fresh polls within one month.
The new elections should be based on the principles of transparency and credibility, the ministry said following a meeting between ministry officials, last month’s medical society elections committee and the two contenders for the post of chairperson.
Dr Ahmad Jamal was elected chairman in the first elections on June 25, but his contender, Dr Ebtisam Al Alawi, contested the results and said that there had been irregularities.
The charge was denied by the winner, but the ministry ordered the society to conduct fresh polls and put an end to the controversy, a decision that was welcomed by all parties.
Ahmad, the incumbent chairman, had beaten Ibtisam by seven votes after 92 voters endorsed his candidacy and 85 voted for her in the two-candidate race for the leadership.
The other positions on the board of the Bahrain Medical Society were won by members from the two lists that contested in the elections.
However, Ebtisam complained to the social development ministry that there had been problems in the voting process, a charge that Ahmad denied, saying that the three-member elections committee had endorsed the results and reported no abuses or violations.
“The committee approved the process and results and the counting of the votes was held on June 29 in the presence of a representative from the ministry and the legal advisor of the minister,” Ahmad said.
Ebtisam will be the first woman to head the society if she wins in the new elections.
Bahrain Bar Society is headed by a woman.
