2014 Bahraini general election

none Bahrain 2010 2018 All 40 seats in the Council of Representatives 22 November 2014 (first round)29 November 2014 (second round) yes Al Asalah Ghanim Al Buaneen 3 2 Al-Menber Salah Ali 2 1 Independents – 17 37 General elections were held in Bahrain in November 2014 to elect all 40 members of the Council of Representatives. The first round of voting took place on 22 November, with a second round on 29 November in the 34 constituencies in which no candidate received a majority.Kingdom of Bahrain: Election for Majlis al-Nuwab (Council of Representatives) IFES http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/bahrain/bahrain-fully-ready-for-elections-1.1415905 Bahrain ‘fully ready for elections’ 21 November 2014 Gulf News The elections were boycotted by the Shiite Islamist opposition party Al-Wefaq. http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/bahrain/a-day-of-firsts-in-bahrain-elections-1.1416034 A day of firsts in Bahrain elections 21 November 2014 Gulf News Of the 266 candidates, 22 were women. According to election officials, 349,713 Bahrainis, including 175,998 men and 173,175 women, were listed to vote. Although the government announced the voter turnout as 52.6%, http://www.bna.bh/portal/en/news/643288 Justice Minister hails successful parliamentary and municipal polls 29 November 2014 Bahrain News Agency the opposition claimed it was only 30%. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/11/bahrain-gears-up-run-off-elections-2014112894121735548.html Bahrain gears up for run-off elections 28 November 2014 Al Jazeera Independents won 37 of the 40 seats with Sunni Islamists losing two of their five seats. The number of Shiite MPs fell to 14 as a result of the Al-Wefaq boycott. Female representation was reduced from four to three. https://www.wsj.com/articles/bahrain-14-shiite-candidates-win-seats-after-runoff-elections-1417359452 Bahrain: 14 Shiite Candidates Win Seats After Runoff Elections 30 November 2014 Associated Press http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/bahrain/bahrain-s-political-societies-lose-big-in-polls-1.1420042 Bahrain’s political societies lose big in polls 1 December 2014 Gulf News Electoral system The 40 members of the Council of Representatives were elected in single-member constituencies using the two-round system.Electoral system IPU Voters and candidates were required to be Bahrani citizens and at least 20 years old. Non-citizens, primarily migrant workers from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who migrated to Bahrain in recent decades, made up more than half of Bahrain's population at the time of the election. Background The first elections in 2002 were boycotted by the most popular political parties, including the Shiite Islamist Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society. Voter turnout was 53%, with the highest number of seats won by the conservative Salafist Al Asalah Islamic Society and the Islamic Forum, each of which won 6 seats of the 40 elected. Al-Wefaq lifted its boycott for the 2006 elections, although the breakaway Haq Movement continued to call for a boycott. Voter turnout increased to 72%, with Al-Wefaq winning 17 of the 40 seats and Sunni Islamists from Al Asalah and the Muslim Brotherhood-aligned Al-Menbar Islamic Society winning 12 in total. However, the King's uncle Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa continued as Prime Minister, with around half of the cabinet drawn from the ruling Al Khalifa family. The 2010 elections saw the Sunni Islamists lose most of their seats to independents. Al-Wefaq took 64% of the vote despite the arrest of opposition spokespersons and allegations of vote rigging. However, they only increased their total to 18 seats due to unequal electoral boundaries. https://www.ft.com/content/aa5dfd5e-715d-11e4-818e-00144feabdc0 Bahrain set for first election since 2011 uprising 21 November 2014 Financial Times Two months later, the Arab Spring protests started in Tunisia, spreading to Bahrain in February 2011 with the start of the Pearl uprising. In a brutal crackdown backed by 1,500 troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the government cleared the main protest site at the Pearl Roundabout. All 18 members of Al-Wefaq resigned from parliament and the party was temporarily banned. The vacant seats were won by independents in the subsequent by-elections. Campaign A record 266 candidates stood for election in the 40 constituencies, including a record 22 women. Only 36 of these candidates represented political parties, with the remaining 230 running as independents. http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/bahrain/independents-surge-ahead-in-bahrain-s-elections-1.1417223 Independents surge ahead in Bahrain’s elections 24 November 2014 Gulf News The candidates were described as being "mostly Sunni", despite the country's Shia majority. http://www.albawaba.com/news/widespread-unrest-continues-bahrain-625815 Widespread unrest continues in Bahrain 26 November 2014 Al Bawaba Opposition media said most of these were "random unknowns" who were just running a "good package" that included "$150,000 a year, a generous pension plan, a diplomatic passport and a car". http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/bahrain-vote-rise-random-unknowns-1750688781 Bahrain vote: The rise of the 'random unknowns' 21 November 2014 Middle East Eye In October 2014 five opposition parties, including Al Wefaq and the leftist al Wa'ad, announced that they would boycott the elections, claiming that they would not be fair and the election was an attempt to establish "absolute rule in Bahrain".Bahrain opposition groups announce elections boycott BBC News, 11 October 2014 http://blog.chron.com/bakerblog/2014/11/politics-as-usual-boycott-makes-no-difference-for-bahrains-female-candidates/ Politics as usual: Boycott makes no difference for Bahrain’s female candidates 29 November 2014 James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University Nine political parties in total contested the elections. The Al-Menbar Islamic Society formed a coalition called the 'Al-Fateh Coalition' with three other political groups: the National Unity Gathering, al Meethaq and al Wasat. http://www.citizensforbahrain.com/index.php/easyblog/entry/bahrain-elections-what-happened-to-the-political-societies Bahrain elections – what happened to the political societies? 27 November 2014 Citizens for Bahrain Al Asalah ran alone as did the secular al Watan. Results The first round saw only six candidates elected, with 34 seats going forward to a second round on 29 November. http://www.bna.bh/portal/en/news/643275 Polling centres across Bahrain have closed 29 November 2014 Bahrain News Agency The six candidates included one from al Asalah and five independents. Al Asalah had three candidates through to the second round, Al-Menbar had four, with two each from al Meethaq, Wasat and al Watan and one from Al Wasat Al Arabi. The second round saw victories for only two candidates from the political societies - one from Al Asalah and one from Al-Menbar, leaving both Islamist groups down one MP. The largest gains were for independents, 14 of whom were from the Shiite majority. Only 10 of the 40 elected MPs were outgoing members of the previous parliament. Of the 23 female candidates, only three were elected (one fewer than in 2010). Al Asalah 1 1 2 –1 Al-Menber Islamic Society 0 1 1 –1 Al Meethaq 0 0 0 0 Al Wasat 0 0 0 0 Al Watan 0 0 0 0 Al Wasat al Arabi 0 0 0 0 National Unity Gathering 0 0 0 0 Independents 5 32 37 +20 0 Gulf News Aftermath Following the elections, the incumbent government led by Prime Minister Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa resigned on 30 November 2014, as required by the constitution, with a cabinet reshuffle announced on 7 December.http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/bahrain/bahrain-cabinet-resigns-1.1420288 Bahrain cabinet resigns 30 November 2014 Gulf News 14 December 2016http://www.worldbulletin.net/haber/150090/bahrain-announces-cabinet-reshuffle https://web.archive.org/web/20150427094815/http://www.worldbulletin.net/haber/150090/bahrain-announces-cabinet-reshuffle usurped April 27, 2015 Bahrain announces cabinet reshuffle 7 December 2014 World Bulletin 14 December 2016 After the election of members of the Council of Representatives, the King appointed the 40 members of the Consultative Council and the National Assembly was sworn in for a new term on 14 December.http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/12/bahrain-convenes-new-look-parliament-2014121010338311615.html Bahrain convenes 'new look' parliament 14 December 2014 Al Jazeera 14 December 2016 References External links Directorate of Election and Referendum Category:2014 in Bahrain Bahrain Category:Elections in Bahrain Category:November 2014 in Asia Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results