MUSCAT: Voting to elect 86 members to the Majlis Ash’shura began on an enthusiastic note in the early hours today at all the 110 election centres.
Initial reports indicate that 20 per cent of the eligible citizens have turned out for voting at different centres in the Muscat governorate from 7 am. Zahra School in Bausher has been designated to facilitate voters from Musandam, Dhofar and Al Wusta who were not able to go to their respective home towns for the elections.
The voting will conclude at 7pm and the results are expected to be announced before midnight.
Compared to previous elections, voters said the process is much easier this year. “Last time there was not much space available and also fewer volunteers to guide voters, but all that have changed”, said a voter.
According to the Ministry of Interior, which oversees the election process, all the election centres are well organized in terms of receiving and guiding the voters in exercising their franchise in all the governorates.
“All the centres have higher voter turnout”, Oman News Agency said quoting the ministry. A total of 637 candidates, including 40 women, are in fray for 86-member Ash’shura elections, which will see 713,335 voters, including 375,801 males and 337,534 females casting their votes.
Reports from the wilayat of Adam said that voters lined up since early morning to choose their representatives for the ninth term of the Shura Council at Adam Center for Basic Education School.
Hamad bin Rashid Al Maqbali, Wali Adam and Chairman of the Election Committee said that voters are comfortable with the new voting system.
“The electoral center in the wilayat is equipped with all necessary needs that make it easier for voters to cast their votes in an atmosphere conducive to elections”, he said.
Voters in the wilayat of Hamra started lining up since 7 am to cast their votes. There are 5,696 voters in the Wilayat.
Sheikh Salem bin Rabi al Sunaidi, chairman of the committee in the wilayat visited the election centres and advised the officials to help the elderly and disabled to cast their votes without any difficulty.
Reports from the wilyat of Khasab, which has 10 candidates in fray, indicate that the turnout of voters has been impressive.
The election centres in Abu Bakr Siddiq Basic Education and Musandam Basic Education School have been designated for male and female voters living in Khasab villages and surrounding areas.
Similarly, voters in the wilayat of Lima turned out in large numbers at the Hamza Bin Abdulmutallab School for Basic Education.
Voters in the willayat of Dhank in Al Dhahirah governorate started queuing up at the polling station immediately after the opening hours at Al-Anwar School for Basic Education to cast their votes.
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