The second round was necessitated after the failure of any of the contestants in nine out of 40 constituencies to garner the mandatory 50 percent of the total votes polled in the first round last week. The top two vote-getters in the first round in these nine constituencies faced each other in the second.

Thirty-one candidates emerged victorious in the first round. They included 18 members of the main opposition Al-Wefaq group and 10 pro-government, business-friendly independents. Of the 18 candidates in the rerun, two are vocal government critics and, therefore, all eyes are focused on them. Both Muneera Fakhro and Ibrahim Shareef are part of the leftist-liberal Al-Waad political grouping. Should they win, the two are sure to align with Al-Wefaq, splitting the Majlis Al-Nuwab or the House of Representatives into two equal halves with the opposition and the ruling blocs sharing 20 seats each. That probability has turned the 2010 elections into an exciting battle of the ballot.

Despite it being the second round, enthusiasm among the voters was high on Saturday. "In some polling stations, we have seen greater enthusiasm than even during the first round," confirmed Information Affairs Authority President Fawaz bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa. "The simple reason for that is because this is the final," he chuckled jokingly.

Speaking to reporters at the Club of Correspondents, Al-Khalifa said the second round progressed smoothly. "There was no hitch and we have not had any adverse report from any of the polling stations," he said, and expected the turnout to be close to what was recorded in the first round. "It seems like it will be around 68 percent like last week," he said.

Polling was a little slow in the morning hours. However, it picked up as the day progressed. "Saturday being a holiday, this is usually the case," added Al-Khalifa.

Supporters of almost all the candidates were out in full force assisting their voters in any way they can. Keeping to election laws, they were stationed at a little distance from the polling booths. Many of them were women wearing colorful T-shirts and happily making victory signs for the benefit of photographers and television cameras.

Interestingly, many of the voters who had not bothered to exercise their franchise in the first round were there this time around. "Yes, it is true. I did not vote the first time because I never thought my candidate would win ... why bother then," said Suleiman Al-Jaroudi in Central Governorate's Constituency No. 3. His candidate, Ebrahim Al-Hadi of Al-Menbar group, did garner the highest number of votes in the first round but could not get the minimum 50 percent of the total votes polled. He is pitted against Adnan Al-Maliki, an independent, in the second round. "The chances of Al-Hadi has become brighter and I have, therefore, come out to cast my vote for him. He is a good man," said Al-Jaroudi. "My family members will come in later to vote for him."

Fakhro, who is taking on Isa Al-Qadhi in Central Governorate's Constituency No. 4, agreed with Al-Jaroudi's assessment. "I am seeing a lot of voters who took no interest in the first round are heading to the polling stations," she said. "There is greater awareness and maturity among the voters. They want to be part of this quiet and peaceful struggle for democracy and freedom," she told Arab News at one of the polling stations. The 69-year-old political veteran looked relaxed and optimistic. "I am doing all that I can and hoping for the best," said Fakhro.

In many of the nine constituencies that saw polling on Saturday, it was basically Al-Asalah versus Al-Menbar. Both the political groups have done badly in current elections. They were in a stronger position in 2006 and held a combined 15 seats in the outgoing assembly. One major reason for their poor performance was the lack of coordination seat sharing. Both appeal to the same set of voters. "Last time, they had greater cooperation, greater understanding, and their supporters voted tactically. This time their vote was divided and, as a result, independents emerged victorious in many of their strongholds," said a radio journalist.

Results are to be announced Sunday. "We all are waiting for the results," added Al-Khalifa. "And then we will see the next part of this democratic exercise which is the convening of the new assembly and oath-taking by the newly elected members." He was happy at the way the whole electoral exercise was conducted. "We thank the world media for being here and for being a witness to this momentous occasion," added Al-Khalifa.