Bahrainis overseas started voting on Tuesday
Bahrainis living abroad on Tuesday cast their ballots in the parliamentary by-elections, four days ahead of their fellow citizens at home.
The measure is also applied to Bahrainis travelling abroad who had registered their names in the diplomatic missions, embassies or consulates ahead of the polling day.
In Bahrain, voting will be on Saturday to elect 14 new lawmakers amid calls by Al Wefaq society and other opposition formation to boycott the polling.
The second round for constituencies where no winner achieved the required 50 per cent of the votes will be held on September 27 abroad and October 1 in Bahrain.
Initially, Bahrainis were scheduled to elect 18 lawmakers to replace the 18 MPs who represented Al Wefaq society and who resigned in February in protest against the way the authorities handled demonstrators.
However, four of the candidates were assured of victories after their opponents pulled out of the race.
Sawsan Al Taqawi, one of the four winners, made history by becoming the first Shiite woman and only the second woman to reach the lower house of the bicameral parliament.
Her win was promptly hailed by King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa and First Lady Sabeeka Bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa as a victory for all women in Bahrain and a consolidation of the drive to empower women politically.
The upper chamber of the parliament where the 40 members are appointed by the king has 11 women.
Bahrain has a Jewish woman ambassador in Washington, a Christian woman ambassador in London and a woman ambassador in Beijing.
Two women have the portfolios of culture and human rights and social development in the government.
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