by all, the NIHR, for the first time since its establishment, and with its broad mandate -pursuant to its establishment Law- as an independent body, monitored the parliamentary and municipal elections of 2018 in the Kingdom of Bahrain, from the moment of calling for the elections and the commencement of its proceedings, to the final announcement of its membership, until appealing the final results. 16. The monitoring of the electoral process included the distribution of a number of members of the Council of Commissioners and of the General Secretariat of the NIHR among several public and provincial ballot and counting committees, totaling (14) general committees and (40) subcommittees, to observe the electoral process to ensure the integrity and impartiality of the elections and their proper implementation, verify the smooth running of the electoral procedures, identify the obstacles that may impede the course of the electoral process, and draw a number of observations and recommendations that would contribute to the improvement of the electoral process and ensure the greatest possible participation of voters and candidates and enable them to exercise their political rights during the coming elections. 17. The established international norms and principles in this regard considers that permitting the monitoring of the electoral process is an indication of safeguarding one of the most important political human rights. Responding to the stipulations of Paragraph (b) of Article (25) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the Kingdom of Bahrain has acceded under Law No. (56) of 2006, which requires that every citizen should be given the opportunity to participate in public affairs, to vote and to be elected, at democratic periodic elections which should be by universal and equal suffrage and should be held by secret ballot, and without unreasonable restrictions in order to guarantee the free expression of the will of the electors. In addition, responding to the provision of Paragraph (e) of Article (1) of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 18. The role of the NIHR in this regard stems from its firm belief that participation in managing public affairs is one aspect of democracy and one of the ways to enhance the values of good citizenship. Participation in the electoral process, to be elected and to vote for membership of the House of Representatives and the municipal councils, is one of the most important pillars of the reform project of his Majesty the King, who is keen to establish an advanced democratic system based on the integration and participation of individuals in the political decision-making process, and the exercise by the people of their role in urging decision-makers to assume policies serving the public interest. 19. The NIHR believes that observing the electoral process will achieve a number of objectives, which aim at strengthening and advancing the democratic approach of the reform project of His Majesty the King, by providing an objective and independent assessment of the overall administration of the electoral process by the official side, represented by the Supreme Committee for the General Supervision of the Soundness of Elections and its executive committee. In addition, the monitoring process would make the parties involved in the electoral process more receptive to the results, since monitoring by an institution inherently concerned with the promotion and protection of human 62