The first of registration dispelled all fears regarding the ability of most candidates to form electoral list in accordance to the law. The fears were the basic motive behind some of the campaigns critical of the new law, by some candidates and proponents, in calls to put the elections off.
Yesterday, the Independent Elections Commission (IEC) declared passing 105 requests submitted for electoral lists and formation, across the Kingdom’s constituencies. Undoubtedly, the more serious were among the earliest to register, and have been brewing their alliances for a while. However, over the next two day, other candidacy requests will be made, and it is not unlikely that the numbers would double by the end of the registration window.
Some candidates took their time in order to uncover the playground; know their rivals, before stepping in. Some lists on the other hands are still seeing withdrawals and additions, pending finalisation before submission. And there is another segment of candidates, totally incapable of forming lists, with a near none-existent change to win, and decided to drop out of the race in the later days, stating their intentions are to make way for youth!
It was foretold and no secret that the new elections system was confusing to several runners, as well as the electorate that has been so long accustomed with the single vote system, who ended up facing a system that necessitates building alliances and lists, and demands they engage in a much wider electoral circuit, when once the older system kept them operating within narrow neighbourhood or tribal spheres.
This is why such confusion was imminent in the construction of lists, in light of a general lack of knowledge in the polling and calculation mechanisms. And I still think there is a pressing necessity to explain the elections process to the electorate as well; for the major responsibility now falls upon candidates and their own campaigns.
Passing lists by the IEC does not mean that the electoral map has cleared out and is now finally readable and predictable; over the next three weeks, there will dominate a state of instability, and withdrawals will recur, as some lists totally disappear, to serve certain calculations or simply because of disparities between members of the bloc.
More importantly, the elections process is officially launched, today. And in a while, millions of voters will get the chance to explore their runners’ programmes and directions; soon candidate houses and halls will burst with constituent conventions for a whole months; debates, speeches and all the talk on politics, economy, and national interests. And just like we overcome the confusion on the formation of lists, we will overcome the stress, anxiety, and the popular reluctance to participate in the elections. Day by day, the electorate will engage more in the elections, competitions will intensify, and with it, much of the illegalities we’re used to see will take place.
No matter our opinion of the new law and the open circuits system, the next few weeks comprise a golden opportunity to establish national debate on our causes and plans for the future, to pick those most capable of bearing the weight of this responsibility into a nearer future full of challenge and difficulty.
