Over the past few days, a number of Australian expatriates in Qatar have voted in one of the closest elections in their country’s history.
Others chose not to vote, believing that the options available were either too similar to choose between, or offered nothing different to them as Australians living abroad.
However, this election represented a potential landmark in Australia’s history, as Julia Gillard may become the country’s first elected female prime minister.
The Grand Hyatt Doha hosted a number of officials from the Australian embassy in the UAE over the past few days, enabling Australian citizens in Qatar to vote. Citizens could visit the hotel and place their votes for the Labor Party under Gillard, the Liberals led by Tony Abbott, or one of the independent candidates in their electoral district.
A number of the hotel’s staff including general manager Garry Friend voted this week.[Read More]