*** ----> Voters urge probe into Bahrain election violations | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Voters urge probe into Bahrain election violations

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

Many Bahraini voters have urged the authorities to carry out a thorough probe into several violations that were allegedly committed by various campaign teams.

The violations included campaigns on streets on voting day as well as deploying children as campaigners for various candidates.

Speaking to The Daily Tribune, a citizen, who doesn’t want to be named, said: “Where is electoral silence here? I could see active campaigning on the streets on Election Day.

There are also many children out there associated with various campaign teams.

“I urge the authorities to take strict action against these teams.

The election rules are sacrosanct and no one should be allowed to violate them. “We are electing our representatives, who will be drafting laws for us.

What if their teams emerge as the violators.

There has to be some accountability.” Close to 450 election observers yesterday performed their poll duties to ensure that no violation is permitted on Election Day.

The observers are representatives of the Bahrain Lawyers Association, Human Rights Association, Bahrain Transparency Society, Manama Centre for Human Rights, the National Institution for Human Rights and many other related organisations.

The observers are monitoring the entire electoral process to ensure that fairness is maintained at various stages under judicial supervision.

The electoral supervisory committee earlier warned candidates against mudslinging and tarnishing each other’s personal image for the sake of electoral victory.

“Such activities will be seen as a grave violation and the candidates if proven guilty will face consequences,” the warning said.