Election is an experience...

t is a totally different experience to sit in a ball room filled with international journalists especially when the occasion is an election. This is an opportunity to learn about their countries and on this day it was more about comparing notes on elections. Nadiya Bazive is from Ukraine and she is a television presenter for Channel 5. This is her third Majlis Ash’shura elections she is attending in Oman. It started off as a conversation about her nail colours and tricolours — red green and white — on her ring fingers. I asked her if it is for Oman, and she excitedly replied, “Yes!” She was in Oman before and in this third trip she has noticed many changes. “They are all good. I want more people from Ukraine to visit Oman. I like the country, the people and the elections. The election in Oman is very smooth and quick. In our country the results would come out the next day, but in Oman it is announced the same day. “The similarities are that in Ukraine also elections are held in schools. Elections are held on Sunday, but in Ukraine it is a public holiday and in Oman it is a working day, but people who vote are given holiday. Interesting element of election in Oman is the finger print. In Ukraine we use passports.” Muzammil Abdullah is a TV reporter from Bernama TV, Malaysia. What impressed him was the use of Sawtak — the electronic voting system. “It went on without a hitch and it just proves how efficient it was. The other thing I was impressed was women’s participation in voting. I was speaking to one of the organising members at a voting centre, and she said women’s response was much higher compared to the last elections. “In Malaysia also we have to register to vote and if someone wants to just observe and not take part in the election process then it is ok too.” By election day, billboards of candidates were removed and it was the day to find out who is going to win among the 637 candidates. Voters gathered even before 7 am, but by 9 am the actual crowd started pouring in. In each room there was an assistant to guide the voter in case he/she had doubts. The assistant would guide and step back immediately when the list of candidates pop up. The process was simple — insert your ID card, place the required finger for the reading of the fingerprint and the list of candidates appears and then one had to just touch the screen to choose the candidate. The women had turned up in large numbers to vote, but only two women were elected to the Majlis Ash’shura. In one particular wilayat there were seven women candidates none of them won. The wilayat also had good turnout of women voters, but no women candidate won. Spoke to a woman journalist on Monday and this is what she said, “It could be the votes got divided. The candidates were strong.” But that is what elections are all about. One cannot predict the results, and we learn something more each time. The best part is that there has been 20 per cent increase in voters since the last term. The people have chosen to register to vote knowing the importance of exercising the right. With the list of candidates, there was also an option for not voting for any of the candidates. For everyone who exercised their right to vote can feel good that they activated their personal right whether their candidate won or not. lakshmiobserver@gmail.com