[Oman-L] New Majlis Ash'shura members elected in Oman

[Joachim Duester]

New Majlis Ash'shura members elected in flawless
voting   
Source: Oman Daily Observer, 28 October 2007

Sayyid Mohammed bin Sultan al-Busaidy, Under-Secretary
of the Interior Ministry and Chairman of the Majlis
Ash’shura sixth-term elections main committee, has
announced the names of the winners of the elections
held yesterday in 61 wilayats of the country after
polling centres across the Sultanate resonated with
the enthusiasm of thousands of Omani voters eager to
leave their mark on yesterday’s landmark elections.
Voting was brisk at polling stations in urban areas,
with election officials reporting better-than-expected
turnouts and lengthy queues in some places — evidence
of a popular desire by registered voters to be part of
Oman’s shura (consultative) process.

Within hours of the closing of the polls, the first
results began trickling in from around the country of
newly elected candidates who will represent their
respective wilayats in the new Majlis Ash’shura
(2008-2011). An official tally of the elected
representatives is expected to be formally announced
today. Voting began at 7am at all the 102 polling
stations across the Sultanate, as a significant
majority of the 388,683 registered voters turned out
during the course of the day to elect a new batch of
84 members to the 6th Majlis. In the fray were 631
candidates (one less than the overnight tally of 632
contenders following the demise of a contestant from
Liwa wilayat) seeking election from 61 wilayats.

Abdulla bin Said al-Maamari, one from nine candidates
contesting from Liwa wilayat, suddenly passed away on
Thursday, officials said. He was described as a lively
individual who had professed a keen desire to serve
the people of the wilayat by contesting the Majlis
elections. Shaikh Ali bin Ahmed al-Shamsi, Wali of
Liwa, said the electorate had been notified of the
candidate’s death well before yesterday’s ballot.
According to reports garnered from around the
Sultanate, voting was smooth and orderly, although
voter turnout surpassed expectations in many wilayats.
In Seeb Wilayat in Muscat Governorate, voters queued
up at the local polling station well before it opened
at 7am.

Roads leading to many polling centres in the capital
region were clogged with traffic as voters set out to
exercise their franchise. Polling stations closed at
7pm and ballot boxes promptly sealed and transferred
to the Wali’s office for a vote count. Many registered
voters, taking advantage of the government’s decision
to grant voters leave of absence from work, gathered
outside polling stations to show solidarity with their
candidates. Their presence lent a lively touch to an
otherwise sedate voting exercise.



Good turnout in Muscat wilayat
The Wilayat of Muscat witnessed a good turnout of
voters at two polling centres arranged in Zahran Girls
School and Al Khairan School. Polling started at 7 am
and crowds began to swell from 8 am, Salem Nasser
al-Hadhrami, in-charge of the poll at Zahran Girls
School, said. This year, the Wilayat of Muscat will
elect one representative to the Majlis as the
population has declined below 30,000, Al Hadhrami
pointed out. The wilayat is represented by two members
in the present Majlis session, he added. Thirteen
candidates, including one woman, were in the fray in
the wilayat of Muscat, he said, adding that 8391
voters had registered themselves for the poll.

Men and women turned out in large numbers to endorse
their ballot preference. The crowds continued till
about 12 pm and again started from 2 pm till 4 pm,
al-Hadhrami said. The voter turnout this year was
larger than the previous elections, he added. Big
display boards carrying the photos and names of the 13
contestants stood at the entrance of the school,
offering a last minute familiarisation opportunity for
voters, a good majority of whom comprised the youth.
Ibrahim Salim Hilal al-Akhzami, working at Muscat
Municipality, felt that separate polling centres were
required for men and women. Also, pedestal fans could
have been arranged at the place where people had to
wait as the hot weather made it inconvenient to stand
in long queues, he added.

More polling centres could have also eased the crowds,
al-Akhzami said. In terms of procedures, the
arrangements were good and everything went off
smoothly, he added. Hussain Khamis al Balushi said he
was voting for the first time in the Majlis elections.
“I did not face any difficulties and volunteers were
on hand to provide any clarification on the poll
procedures,” al-Balushi, who is working with Muscat
Insurance Services said. “I had to wait only for 20
minutes to cast my vote,” Salim Sulaiman al-Ghannami,
who is working with MHD, said. All arrangements were
good, al-Ghannami, said adding that this was the third
time he was casting his vote in Majlis elections.

Commenting on competition between contestants,
al-Ghannami said that people were wiser these days not
to fall for promises given by them. The educated
electorate will choose only candidates who can deliver
goods by taking up issues that concern the people, he
added. A person who can rally people around will be
the favourite to win the elections, Ghannami said,
without revealing his choice candidate. Fahd Daad
Karim al-Balushi, who is working with the Central Bank
of Oman, said the election committee had done a good
job with the poll arrangements. This time, the poll
has attracted more candidates as well as more voters,
al-Balushi commented.

A few citizens, who wrongly turned up at the polling
centre, were directed to their assigned centres in
other parts of the city. Many citizens, who cast their
votes, also availed the leave certificate issued at
the centre. The volunteers extended all required
assistance, especially to old citizens by escorting
and helping them at the polling booth.



‘Meaningful exercise’
Many Omanis and expatriate residents have applauded
the underlying significance of Oman’s shura
experiment, especially as it goes from strength to
strength with each electoral exercise every four
years. The Majlis Ash’shura election is a great step
forward and an opportunity for Omani citizens to
participate in the country’s development, Dr C Thomas,
Head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Service,
Ministry of Health, said. The Majlis represents the
people’s voice, facilitating a forum to discuss their
rights and privileges as well as contributions to the
overall development of the country, Dr Thomas added.

The Majlis election is a meaningful exercise as all
citizens get a valuable opportunity to be involved in
the nation-building process, Dr Thomas noted. The
Majlis has made several recommendations which have
been implemented over the years, Dr Thomas, said,
adding that open discussions in the Majlis helped
people to update themselves on facilities available in
the country. P M Jabbir, Community Welfare Secretary
of the Indian Social Club (ISC), said that Oman took
the first initiative to involve women in the election
process. “I consider the strong participation of women
as a major achievement. The present Majlis Ash’shura
council has two women members,” he noted.

The members of Majlis Ash’shura can bring the demands
of regions to the notice of the government in the
right perspective. “Majlis Ash’shura took several
initiatives to resolve the problems faced by the
people. The government gets the pulse of the general
public,” noted Jabbir. Raphael Parambi, Chief
Executive Officer of Muscat Finance, said that there
has been widespread representation for the Majlis
Ash’shura election from different areas and
communities.

“We are also seeing well-qualified people contesting
in the election, which is a good sign. The media has
been quite active in encouraging people to exercise
their franchise. Also, companies have been encouraging
people to vote,” he added. Saying that people are
taking a serious interest in the Majlis election,
Parambi noted that the council is becoming more and
more active by taking up issues of interest for the
people for deliberation. “With the media giving a good
coverage for the deliberations of the Majlis
Ash’shura, it is now the responsibility of the people
to review what their representatives do in the
council. All these are positive signs,” Parambi said.