No appeals against electoral process

The Supreme Committee of the Majlis Ash'shura 10th Term Elections affirmed that it did not receive any appeals about the electoral process. It announced that there is still time to submit such appeals.

This was revealed during a press conference held on Monday on the Majlis Ash'shura's 10th Term Elections that took place on Sunday in all parts of Oman via “Intakhib” app.

Shaikh Al Mukhtar bin Abdullah al Harthy, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court and Chairman of the Supreme Committee of the Majlis Ash'shura's 10th Term Elections, said that period set for submission of appeals begins on Monday and lasts for 10 days. The appeals can be filed via the designated electronic system as the committee will make decisions on the appeals within 15 days from the date filing claims.

Al Harthy stressed that the electoral process proceeded with utmost transparency and that an initial sorting of the candidates and the votes they obtained took place.

A team from Oman Human Rights Commission (OHRC) followed up the elections and the whole process that was carried electronically, without any human intervention, thereby realising full transparency, said Al Harthy.

Mohammed bin Said al Balushi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Chairman of the Media Committee, thanked all media sections (print, audio and electronic media) for the excellent coverage of the event.

This coverage, he added, showcased the novel electronic voting experience through the “Intakhib” application.

Al Balushi also lauded the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Interior to keep citizens updated about the electoral process. He observed that the 64 per cent voter turnout constituted a good indicator and an evidence of public awareness about the importance of participating in the election.

Dr Ali bin Amer al Shaithani, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Communications and Information Technology, Chairman of the Technical Committee, said that the general evaluation of the electoral process was satisfactory. He added that all plans have been implemented and goals achieved in general. Technology facilitated the electoral process, showing that 100,000 votes were registered during the first hour of voting, he added.

Dr Al Shaithani pointed out that technical solutions offered by “Intakhib” app were strongly present, irrespective of the challenges, and that the app helped cut down the cost of the electoral process. He added that close observation of the app showed that it fared well, with hardly any significant anomalies reported.

On his turn, Talal bin Ahmed al Saadi, Secretary of the Main Committee, said that there was an increase in the voting percentage and that in some wilayats participation exceeded 95 per cent, with a small gender margin.

Al Saadi pointed out that 1,500,000 citizens were entitled to vote, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). He added that 753,000 registered in the recent elections, comprising 50 per cent of total entitled voters. He said that registration in the electoral register is optional and not mandatory.

Commenting on the fact that no female candidate won a seat in the Majlis Ash'shura's 10th Term membership, Al Saadi said that the “quota” is not foreseen at the present time. He added that, in Dhofar Governorate, the number of female voters stood at 35,000. He affirmed that women constitute a basic driver in the electoral process and that there was a certain level of parity between men and women in the voting percentage (52:48 in favour of men).

Gender and age demographics demonstrated a more balanced participation in the elections, with a strong representation of various segments of society who met candidacy requirements. The extensive pre-election awareness campaigns successfully engaged citizens, creating a robust democratic movement culminating in the election process.

The Sultanate of Oman achieved a global milestone in digitalising the electoral process through the "Intakhab" application, emphasising the country's innovative use of technology for efficient and accessible elections. This transformation resulted in a remarkable increase in voter participation, with a turnout of 65.88 per cent compared to 49 per cent in the previous 2019 elections.