Bahraini.TV

Court rejects recount plea

by mahmood on 30/11/06 at 2:55 pm · email  · print  

Bahrain’s highest court threw out yesterday a demand for a recount by a parliamentary candidate who official figures state only got four votes.

Isa Al Harbi, who ran for the Southern Governorate’s constituency two, says he was not disputing that the contest was won by his rival Hamad Al Muhannadi, but he raised the case only “to defend his honour”.

Mr Al Muhannadi was re-elected to parliament after receiving 54 per cent of the votes, according to election officials.

Mr Al Harbi told the Court of Cassation yesterday that he couldn’t possibly have received only four votes because he had a lot more popular support.

“I can show you six voters who voted for me, showing that the number officially released must be wrong,” he said.

When asked by the court whether he thinks that he received six votes instead of four, Mr Al Harbi said he believed he got much more.

“I estimate that I had about 1,500 votes,” said Mr Al Harbi.

Mr Al Muhannadi told the court that the counting process was transparent and clear.

“He got three votes here (in Bahrain) and one vote from the embassies abroad,” he continued.

Mr Al Muhannadi later told journalists outside the court that even the votes he received from voters abroad were more than the total number that his competitor received.

“I got half of the 16 votes that went to the constituency from the polling held abroad and he only got one,” he said.

The same court also dismissed a case brought against National Democratic Action Society (Waad) candidate Abdulrahman Al Nuaimi by Ahmed Al Binali. Both were contesting for constituency four in Muharraq and Mr Al Binali claims that the votes that Mr Al Nuaimi received may have been mixed up with his.

“They assigned each of the candidates contesting in the elections a number and then they used this number when counting the votes,” he told the court.

“We think that they had used my number for him and his for mine.”

Mr Al Nuaimi later told journalists at a Press conference at Waad’s premises in Umm Al Hassam that such a big blunder could not have occurred.

More cases are due to go before the court shortly.

These include one brought by Waad candidate Dr Munira Fakhro against Dr Salah Ali, the victor in the Central Governorate’s constituency four, and another brought by brothers Taqi and Isa Bin Rajab, who also believe that there was a mistake in the counting.
Tariq Khonji :: GDN :: 30 Nov, ’06