Sharjah to host 4th APC on February 22

Preparations

As part of the preparations, an integrated platform for electronic voting has been set up, in addition to providing traditional ballot boxes, allowing child members to cast their votes easily and transparently.

Meetings will be held at the delegations’ residence, giving children who wish to run for the presidency of parliament the opportunity to present their electoral programmes and highlight their achievements, thus enhancing the principle of transparency and democratic competition.

Voting mechanism

This session witnesses a major development in the voting mechanism, as the Secretary-General of the Arab Parliament for the Child (APC), Ayman Othman Al Barout, explained that voting was done manually through ballot boxes during the first session, then a special electronic mechanism was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the smooth continuation of the electoral process, while in this session, an approved electronic programme will be used that meets all electoral integrity standards.

Al Barout added that a specialised electoral committee will supervise the electoral process, and will work under the chairmanship of the Secretary-General of the Arab Parliament for the Child (APC), and this committee will handle all stages of the electoral process, from entering information to announcing the results, while adhering to the highest levels of transparency.

Al Barout stressed that the process of recording and documenting the vote is one of the most important standards of transparency, as every step is recorded accurately, which ensures the children's satisfaction with the integrity of the electoral process, noting that there were no appeals in previous rounds, but rather the results were fully appreciated and appreciated by all members.

Results

Regarding the announcement of the results, he explained that the sorting process does not take more than an hour, as the sorting steps are displayed moment by moment on a screen in front of all members, which allows them to follow the course of the electoral process with complete transparency until the final result appears and is officially announced.

Training

Al Barout pointed out that child members will be trained on voting mechanisms before participating in the electoral session, to ensure the ease of the process and their understanding of all its procedures. This awareness includes two stages: the first is through an introductory video explaining the voting steps, and the second is through a practical rehearsal that simulates the real voting process, which makes members ready to undergo the electoral experience easily and smoothly.

The Secretary-General of the Arab Parliament for the Child (APC) stressed that these elections are not only a democratic experience, but an important opportunity to qualify children on the values of participation and fair competition, and prepare them to be future leaders who carry the spirit of dialogue and responsibility.