The court rejected four petitions filed by candidates who lost the election from the Electoral District-3, challenging the court’s verdict last week to revoke the decision of the Complaints’ Committee of Municipal Elections to nullify the election to the district.
The committee earlier declared null and void the election of the candidate in District-3 following complaints about a procedural discrepancy.
Even though Eid holidays had begun, the court held an extraordinary session to close the chapter with regard to the municipal elections. The court took such an initiative for the first time.
The candidates who lost the elections approached the court claiming that the committee rejected their complaints about violations committed by the winning candidate while campaigning.
They cited several incidents that were a clear violation of election norms and procedures. One candidate drew the attention of the court to the pictures and other substantial evidence of violation of the election code by the winning candidate in the district.
The evidence included displaying more than 200 campaign boards by the candidate on lighting poles at major city centers, and putting the candidate’s picture with the Saudi national flag. The winner, the petition claimed, also allegedly misused names of eminent scholars and prominent figures in SMS to create a wrong impression that his opponents are corrupt.
The defeated candidates also challenged the earlier verdict of the court to validate the results of the third district votes and uphold the result. They claimed that the verdict was in clear violation of the ministerial order No. 11,999, which stipulates that the committee’s decision is final and that it cannot be challenged or canceled.
The committee annulled the results citing an error on the part of the committee supervising election procedures, its Chairman Omar Al-Khouli said. He pointed out that the cancellation was not because of any violation committed by a candidate or voter.
Abdullah Al-Muhammadi, who polled 381 votes, was announced the winner in the district.
