Of the total 28,139 registered voters, 13,656 people exercised their franchise. These include 7,295 men (53.4 per cent)and 6,361 women (46.6 per cent). The total number of male voters were 14,531 while there were 13,608 female voters.
A total of 28 candidates including three women contested in the 29 constituencies across the country.
Sheikha Al Jefairi, the sitting CMC member from the Old Airport area got the highest percentage of votes, through a record victory in the history of the CMC elections. Of the total 879 votes cast, she got 800 votes, while the remaining 79 votes were shared by two male candidates. There were a total of 1,451 registered voters in the constituency — 740 women and 711 men.
Cities and villages outside Doha recorded a higher voter turn out compared to several prominent constituencies inside the city. Of the 29 constituencies, Al Shahaniya recorded the highest voting percentage of 80.4 closely followed by Al Shamal (80.3 per cent).
The voting pattern in other constituencies are as follows: Al Dakheera (71. 7 per cent), North Meidir (68.4), Umm Salal Ali (66. 9), Meidir (66.9), Mesaeed (67.3), New Rayyan (63), Al Ghuwariya (62. 9), Old Airport (60.6), Abu Hamour (59.7), Miraikh (58), Al Khartiyat (54.6), Wakrah (54.3), Dukhan (54.1), New Ghanim (47.8), Al Murra (45. 9), Al Nasiriyah (44.3), Gharafa (42.2), South Medinat Khalifa (41.7), Old Rayyan (41.3), North Medinat Khalifa (39.7), New Doha (39.4), Markhiya (39.2), New Salata (35.1), Al Hilal (34.3), Al Jisra (28), Al Khor and Bin Omran (not announced).
Speaking to the media yesterday, Major Salim Saqr Al Miraikhi said the polling run smoothly in all the constituencies, despite some minor violations of the electoral rules. In one polling station, a voter came wearing a T-shirt carrying the picture of a particular candidate, which was illegal. During the campaigning, some people were caught by the law enforcing authorities while they were trying to stick election posters on a light polls in one of the city’s streets.
Women volunteers as well as women security personnel were deployed in all the constituencies to exclusively look afterwomen voters. Each voter was given a special identity card, which he or she was required to produce before the polling officials, along with his Qatari ID card. Those who were holding these two cards were allowed to go directly to the polling counter.
Many voters whom The Peninsula met yesterday felt that the election was an important step towards achieving a democratic system in Qatar. “Gone are the days when people voted for members of their family or tribe. Now the voters are more critical and they are looking at the qualifications of the candidate and whether they are capable of doing some good job in their constituency,” said Ali Moosa Eisa, a voter from Old Airport.
