By REBECCA TORR, Gulf Daily News
CANDIDATES for Bahrain's next elections are being advised to follow the example of US President-elect Barack Obama if they are serious about winning a seat in parliament or municipal councils.
Women in particular should try to emulate the way the next leader of the free world started fundraising and drumming up support early, according to former Shura Council member Dr Fakhria Diari.
She said even though Bahrain's next polls are two years away, it is never too soon to start laying the foundations of a successful campaign.
"One woman in parliament is not enough," she told the GDN.
"We lack funding here and we need full time help, we must work hard on fundraising.
"We must go to the private sector and have them participate in the campaign.
"Phone companies can help by giving free calls for their campaign."
Dr Diari, who admitted she was considering running for a municipal council seat, said candidates also needed a large network of volunteers of all ages to help them with their campaign.
She suggested lobby centres similar to those in the US, which teach volunteers how to knock on doors and win over voters.
"We have a lot of youth volunteers, but it would be good to have senior citizens - it helps them feel alive and gives them purpose," she said.
"Volunteers in the US will call up people who haven't voted yet or send them a message or e-mail to remind them and the youth go out knocking doors asking people to vote for their party."
Dr Diari was speaking after taking part in the Election Exchange Programme in the US.
The month-long programme was sponsored by the US Department of State's Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and implemented by the American University, in Washington, DC.
Programme organisers chose 44 female political leaders from the Middle East and North Africa to exchange experiences and points of view on politics, as well as observe the US presidential campaigns.
Participants were mainly focused in Washington, DC, but were also sent to different states to observe the local election process.
Dr Diari, who visited Raleigh, in North Carolina, and Denver, in Colarado, now hopes to bring US experts to Bahrain to conduct workshops on how candidates can structure their campaigns.
She is also recommending workshops, ongoing training and exchange programmes for MPs and Shura Council members.
However, Dr Diari said compared to many other countries in the region, Bahrain was honoured that women had support from the highest level - from His Majesty King Hamad and his wife Her Highness Shaikha Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa.
She said she was hopeful that more women would be elected to parliament in 2010, even though only one woman won a parliamentary seat last time.
"In 2006, 80 women stood for election and it's a hard job to be in parliament, they need to be able to talk in front of thousands of people and the women must have a political background.
Dr Diari said in Denver the group visited a businesswomen's club, which volunteered time to support election campaigns.
"Women's groups here should support women candidates," said Dr Diari.
"If we do what they (the US) are doing, 100 per cent women will be elected into parliament.
"If 51pc of women voted for women, then women would be successful, but some women don't believe in women and give the vote their husband gives.
Dr Diari said during the group's visit to Washington they met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, but claimed everyone was unhappy with her answers to their questions.
She asked Ms Rice if President George Bush made the right decision by invading Iraq, but said she evaded the question.
The group also met President Bush at another meeting and two questions were taken.
"It was nice to meet them and they received us, but the answers from Bush and Rice were not satisfactory," she said.
"They would not explain and that's why I think Obama is the right person and I hope he will do right."
Dr Diari's visit to Raleigh and Denver was sponsored by Meridian International Centre, which promotes international understanding through the exchange of people, ideas and the arts.
In Denver, Dr Diari visited the office of Obama and the Meridian International Centre.
In Raleigh she visited various places including the First Baptist church and the North Carolina Centre for Voter Education.
"In North Carolina I attended Obama's campaign and I was shocked how hard he worked," she said.
"He gave a beautiful speech. He said: 'We don't need war, we need peace and education for children and we need not see a single tear in a mother's eyes.'
"I spoke to Americans there and they said: 'We have confidence in this president that he will solve our racial problems.'
Dr Diari said in Raleigh she liked that during Halloween the police department invited thousands of children and their families for a celebration where they were given sweets and enjoyed face painting.
She said this was a good way for children to learn about police and overcome fear of them.
"Children are always scared of police and I was thinking, I wish we could take children to police during Gargaoon (in Ramadan)," she said.
"The police there have monthly visits for families and for child protection education, it would be nice to do this here."
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