JEDDAH: The trend of election to the board of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) indicated early Thursday that old faces were likely to be replaced by fresh blood, mostly young businessmen and women. But favored names doing the rounds who were likely to win were Abdul Khaliq Saeed, Abdullah Marae Binmahfouz, Mazen Batterjee, Ali Hassan Nagoor, Nashwa Taher, Khalaf Al-Otaibi and Saif Sharbatly.
Apart from Al-Otaibi and Sharbatly, both young industrialists and making a fresh impact on the business scene, the rest of the names are established veterans. Their stature and contributions to the chamber were the likely factors that saw them emerge the favorites to win.
According to a JCCI source, 6,416 votes were cast from among those eligible to vote. These votes will be hand-counted. The results will only be announced after the hand count is confirmed by a machine count. The new system this year involves winners being picked in the first past-the-post mode rather than through lists of 12 people consisting of an equal number of businessmen and industrialists.
The last day of the election witnessed a fistfight between the sons of two prominent candidates that charged the atmosphere at the polling station. The fight broke out after one of them leveled charges of vote buying on the other. Many said that the practice of vote buying was rampant.
Tempers were frayed and blows were exchanged as Abdullah Dhahlan’s son allegedly claimed that the sons of Essam Naas were distributing money among voters. Dhahlan’s sons claim they took pictures of the whole incident. When the police arrived on the scene, they confiscated the camera.
However, sources said that the issue was not over and both the feuding rivals have indicated that they would be taking this matter to court.
The day witnessed huge turnout of voters as well as supporters of different candidates. More than 1,200 people cast their ballots on Wednesday amid reports that voters were offered about SR4,000 to vote in favor of a particular candidate. The reports were not confirmed, but later 10 businessmen submitted a memorandum to the authorities claiming widespread fraud, vote-buying and underhand campaigning.
For the first time in the history of the JCCI, foreign investors were given the right to vote. One hundred and fifty voters were eligible in this category. Some 4,500 cast their votes in the first four days of polling. As many as 65 candidates were contesting the 12 seats on the JCCI board.
JCCI Secretary-General Mustafa Sabri said that after the announcement of winners, seven days would be given for candidates to challenge the result. Later, Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Zainal Alireza will appoint six candidates, three each from traders and industrialists. The first meeting of the board will elect the chairman and two deputy chairmen and a representative to the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Sabri said the present board would continue its work until Nov. 5, when it would officially hand over matters to the new board.
