Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a royal order on Monday setting the parliamentary elections in the country for next November.
“Registered voters shall turn up at the polling committees to elect members of the Representatives Council on Saturday, November 24, 2018 from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. In case of a run-off, this shall be held on Saturday, December 1, 2018 from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm,” the King’s order said, according to Bahrain’s news agency.
Also, the King ordered that casting ballots at Bahrain embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions abroad shall take place on November 20 and in case of a run-off, the date was set for November 27.
Candidates willing to run for the Representatives Council shall represent their candidacy between October 17 and 21. “Applications shall be submitted to the specialized committees in the electoral constituencies,” the King’s order said.
In another order issued also Monday, the King added a ballot casting and vote counting general committee for the parliamentary elections.
According to article 1 of the decree, the general committee will be added to the thirteen existing committees.
Last June, the King enacted a law banning members of banned political parties, felons and convicts who later had received royal pardons from standing as candidates for elections.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Monday, King Hamad said the forthcoming parliamentary elections would write a new chapter of the march of democratic development and a new start in which the National Action Charter was laid down and launched by the reform project.
The King also expressed satisfaction with the citizens’ enthusiasm to take part in the electoral process, reflecting their high confidence in the constitutional and official institutions.
