OMAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOLDS BOARD ELECTIONS

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000492

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV MU
SUBJECT: OMAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOLDS BOARD ELECTIONS



1. (U) On May 16, Econoff spoke with Oman Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (OCCI) Director General Mohammed bin Nassir
al-Shoraiqi regarding the organization's May 15 elections, in
which 37 candidates vied for 15 open positions on the
chamber's Board of Directors. Shoraiqi commented that the
elections went smoothly, and that polling positions remained
open until 8pm to accommodate the greatest possible turnout
of the approximately 20,000 registered chamber voters (out of
a total of 132,000 registered companies). He remarked that
healthy numbers showed up to cast their ballots, a result of
chamber efforts to promote the elections in the media and on
its website.


2. (U) Media reports placed emphasis on the themes of
"fairness" and "transparency" in describing the election
process, and highlighted the oversight role of the chamber's
election committee in ensuring that the will of the
membership was respected in the voting process. To be
eligible for election, candidates were required to have
served in a business-related field for the past five years
and be Omani citizens by birth. Government officials are not
eligible to run. The elected members will join seven members
who will be appointed via royal decree to fill out the
22-member body. Of the elected members, seven seats are
allocated to Muscat, with one seat each allocated to the
Batinah, Dhahira, Dakhiliya, Sharqiya, Wusta, Dhofar,
Musandam, and Buraimi regions. Each member will serve a
four-year term.


3. (SBU) Comment. The OCCI election represented a modest
opportunity for part of the Omani public to elect directors
to this quasi-government body through the ballot box. While
the registered number of voters was modest, the organization
was pleased that the election drew interest from the
membership, that the emphasis was on fairness and
transparency, and that the mechanics of the election went off
without incident.



GRAPPO