11. In all the polling stations visited by the NIHR, the voting booths met the requirements of
confidentiality and privacy of voter’s choice. However, in one of the polling centers, given it was
located in a multi-storey mall with limited area, there was a possibility of knowing the voter’s
choice on the ballot.
12. However, despite the considerable organizational efforts undertaken by the Supreme Committee for
the General Supervision of the Soundness of Elections, electoral propaganda was observed before
and during the voting process, particularly in the provincial polling and counting centers. This was
represented by displaying advertisements and posters of some candidates, or by people, mostly
children, wearing clothes bearing images of those candidates, distributing leaflets or water bottles
with pictures of the candidates or other publicity images, or by others calling on the electorate to
vote for one candidate or another, or by direct telephone calls asking electors to vote for a particular
candidate on the morning of the polling day.
13. The NIHR monitored, in particular, the electoral propaganda near the provincial centers No. (3), (5),
and (8) in Muharraq Governorate; No. (4), (8), and (9) in the Northern Governorate, and No. (1), (5),
(6), (7), (8), and (9) in the Southern Governorate, as well as the public centers at Awali Club, Wadi
Alsail Primary Intermediate Boys School, the Ministry of Education Hall, and Seef Mall.
14. Immediately, the NIHR’s team contacted the Supreme Committee for the General Supervision of
the Soundness of Elections through the assigned telephone numbers, to report the observation and
document such acts, which constitute a violation of the provisions of the law. The NIHR calls on
all candidates to respect the provisions of the law governing electoral propaganda, and to refrain
from exploiting children by employing them to carry out electoral propaganda for candidates in the
streets and public roads, for the best interest of the child. This behavior is not suitable for children;
it has negative and dangerous consequences on them and endangers their lives and safety.
15. It should be noted that the NIHR, taking initiative on its own, has already submitted to the
Government in 2015 a proposal to amend the provisions of Articles (60) and (69) of Law No. (37) of
2012 on the Child Law regarding the criminalization of using children in elections, together with
recommending appropriate and deterrent penalties for such dangerous criminal acts.
16. Additionally, on the morning of Election Day, in its first round, the NIHR monitored a number of
voters receiving SMS messages informing them that their names have been removed from the
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