Oman postpones local municipal elections to a later date amid coronavirus

Oman confirmed it is postponing its local municipal elections scheduled for this year until a later date to be announced later time due to the risks of holding it amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to a decision by the country’s ruler.

The decision, announced on Sunday by Oman’s Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik, added that the current structure of municipal councils will continue in its term until the next election takes place.

Oman last held local elections on December 25, 2016, during which 623,224 registered voters were eligible to cast their votes. At the time, 731 candidates, among them 23 women, vied for 202 seats.

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Indian nationals check in at the Muscat International Airport before leaving the Omani capital on a flight to return to their country, on May 9, 2020. (AFP)

Oman reported 157 new coronavirus cases and one new death, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 5,186 and the virus-related death toll to 22, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday.

Oman’s Ministry of Health identified its latest death due to the coronavirus in a 48-year-old resident.

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Strict measures were imposed throughout Oman to prevent the further spread of the virus. A lockdown had been implemented in the capital Muscat and was extended until the end of May. Ramadan mass gatherings were also banned throughout the Sultanate.

Al Arabiya English’s Tamara Abueish contributed to this report.

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