Judgement day

Bahraini voters will once again go to the polling booths today to vote in runoff elections after the last Saturday polls failed to produce clear winners in the majority of constituencies. According to Bahrain’s election laws, a second round is held in parliament and municipal council seats where no winner was declared in the first round.

Thirty-one of the 40 parliament constituencies will be decided by run-offs between the number one and number two candidates. The first round had proved damaging to incumbent members of the parliament and municipal councils and established political groups who recorded major losses. Only two of the 23 parliamentarians in the outgoing the 40-member Council of Representatives, who sought to keep their seats, won their constituencies. Adel Al Assoomi won the first constituency in the Capital Governorate, replicating his victories in 2006, 2010 and 2014.

He secured 75.21 per cent of the total votes polled in the constituency. Eisa Al Kooheji won the fourth constituency of the Muharraq Governorate by gaining 57.41pc of the ballots. For 12 ex-lawmakers, their defeat was an exit they did not expect, particularly that they were under the illusion they were competing against political newcomers.