JEDDAH: Amid a feverish race, the supporters and campaigners of the candidates for a new term of the board of directors of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) all gathered together in a tent in front of the polls center at the Jeddah Exhibition and Convention Center.
Monday saw the first of the three consecutive days dedicated for males to cast their votes. There was a medium turnout of 1,000 people but only 700 were allowed to vote, as the rest did not have proper identification.
The balloting was done in morning and evening sessions. Voters usually prefer to come in the evening due to cooler temperatures and because they would have finished their work in the morning.
Many candidates had established luxurious air-conditioned tents with comfortable seating. They also served various kinds of food and drinks including sweets, chocolates, dates, tea and coffee in an open buffet.
All 55 male candidates were present at the polls center. The balloting process went smoothly with no mistakes or violations. Deputy Secretary of the JCCI Othman Basaqr stressed the neutrality of the chamber in the election process.
“The JCCI stands at the same distance from all the candidates,” he said. However, there were complaints about the apparent lack of precautionary measures against the swine flu pandemic.
“This is a real tragedy. The tent is 30 meters by 10 meters with no air-cooling system. The heat was unbearable and an epidemic could easily spread among the hundreds of people cramped there due to over-crowding and lack of ventilation,” a campaigner said.
