Manama, Oct. 13: Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, and President of the Higher Committee to oversee integrity of the elections, Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, received here today Information Affairs Minister and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bahrain Institute for Political Development (BIPD), Ali bin Mohammed Al-Romaihi.
The meeting reviewed the national efforts and preparations related to the upcoming parliamentary and municipal elections, and their coverage by various media outlets.
The Justice Minister stressed that holding the fifth parliamentary and municipal elections proves the vitality of the Reform Project spearheaded by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and confirms the resolve of the Bahraini citizens, men and women from various sects, to continue carrying out their patriotic duties by effectively participating in the democratic process and pushing the kingdom’s development and civilisational march forward within the state of law and constitutional institutions.
He highlighted the keenness of the Higher Committee to oversee integrity of the elections to ensure the success of the electoral process in all its stages, including the confirmation of the voters’ lists, the nomination process, the preparations of the voters’ lists, provision of facilities for voters to exercise their political rights smoothly, facilitating the participation of civil society institutions and mass media in monitoring the progress of the voting process in all areas and constituencies, within an integrated system of legislative and judicial guarantors for holding free, fair and transparent elections.
Al-Romaihi highlighted the Information Affairs Ministry’s efforts and media plans to cover the elections since the issuance of Royal Order 36/2018 on setting the parliamentary elections and candidacy dates.
The minister expressed thanks to the Higher Committee to oversee integrity of the elections for its ‘constructive cooperation’, valuing highly the Executive Committee of the elections, led by the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission (LLOC) President Nawaf Abdulla Hamza, for its constant coordination.
Al-Romaihi stressed the keenness of the Information Affairs Ministry, through its various sectors, and in cooperation with the National Communication Centre (NCC), to ensure the success of the electoral process and highlight it in various local, regional and international media outlets, being a “new brick in the monument of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s reform and modernisation project, and the landmark achievements resulting from it regarding the consolidation of the wise governance, and the pillars of the civil, modern and civilised state in Bahrain.”
The minister pointed out that the Information Ministry continues to implement its national mission through preparing and presenting radio and TV programmes aimed at raising the citizens’ awareness, educating them and urging them to carry out their constitutional duties through participating in the elections as voters or candidates, which would reflect the free national will to elect members of the Council of Representatives and municipal councils for the fifth term.
Al-Romaihi said that preparations are in full swing to set up an integrated and fully-equipped state-of-the-art media centre to cover the elections and announce their results.
He highlighted the facilities to be provided for local, Arab and international media outlets to take part in the coverage of the upcoming elections with an atmosphere of openness, freedom and transparency.
The facilities include the issuance of media licences for about 400 Bahraini journalists and photographers, and the invitation of more than 120 media personnel from outside the kingdom, he said, highlighting the interest of more than 60 newspapers, news agencies and 20 TV channels, from the Arab and foreign countries, to cover the electoral process in the kingdom.
He also highlighted the massive national participation in covering the electoral process through social media networks, alongside the official campaign.
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