Prisoners' citizenship status and the franchise

Abstract EN

This article explores and analyses the voting rights for sentenced prisoners in the Sultanate of Oman however, examples of UK, USA, Canada and South Africa are also analyzed.

Various approaches are discussed to know the validity and legality of a blanket ban and prohibition on prisoners voting right.

Therefore, the Sultanate may review the existing policy to deny prisoners' voting right whether it is a breach an individual's right to contribute to free elections as guaranteed by Basic law of the Sultanate.

The debate may be organized for policy makers either to retain prisoner disenfranchisement or enfranchise to lead any future enactment.

Historic denial of prisoners' right to vote as called 'civic death' leads a status quo that may cause loss of a moral authority and transparency to engage in the electoral process.

This research clearly indicates that facilitation of prisoners to vote is not only mater of electoral reform but also embraces ministerial accountability, offenders' rehabilitation and proportional representation in the electoral process.