Oman's interior ministry has launched an awareness campaign to encourage citizens to vote for the Majlis Al Shura, the sultanate's Lower House of parliament, reported the daily Gulf News.
The interior ministry is urging citizens to rise above their tribal loyalties and vote for the candidates deemed right to represent them.
Officials hope the electorate, 175,000 Omanis, will all head for the polls on September 14th, to pick the qualified candidates who number 597 including 23 women.
A ministry official told Gulf News that "tribalizm was deep-rooted in Oman" but said the new generation, which is better educated, is more likely to vote for candidates based on their merit.
The number of candidates has dropped from 736 in the last poll in 1997 and the number of women candidates also went down to 23 from 27.
The official, who spoke under customary condition of anonymity, said that although the number of candidates was less than the last elections "it was big enough" to show people's interest in the country's democratization process.
The registration of the voters, which began on July 11th, will close on August 21st, said the daily - Albawaba.com
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