No opposition running in Bahrain's elections, status quo to persist
As Bahrain heads to the polls with a ban on opposition candidates, it is certain that the elections won't bear any change.
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Women in Bahrain protesting yesterday in Manama against the Bahraini regime (via Twitter @AlegnaCesho)
Over 330 candidates took part in the run to compete for the country's House of Deputies 40 seats. Not one of them was found to represent the opposition.
As Bahrain heads to the polls with a ban on opposition candidates, it is certain that the elections won't bear any change.
Even though the number of female candidates increased considerably, with 73 women competing for the parliamentary seats compared to 41 in 2018, the rosy picture elections paint is not so evocative of the misrepresentation realities in the Bahraini civil society.
The two main opposition groups, namely Al-Wefaq and Waad parties, were dissolved and liquidated in 2016 and 2017 respectively, leaving no one else to dispute the autocratic rule of the Kingdom headed by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
On November 6, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Bahraini political party Al-Wefaq, Sheikh Hussain Al-Daihi, formally announced that his party is boycotting the general elections in Bahrain.
Not only were the violent crackdowns on activists and the failures to implement crucial reforms to blame, but the Bahraini regime also went overboard with the recent normalization of diplomatic ties with the zionist entity.
Bahrain is well-known for its poor record in human rights, including its torture practices toward political leaders and activists who were arrested for practicing the right to freedom of speech.
Among the detained is Al-Wefaq's leader Sheikh Ali Salman, as well as human rights advocate Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja who was sentenced to life imprisonment during a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 2011.
According to Amnesty International's deputy regional director, Amna Guellali, "The Kingdom does not tolerate discrimination, persecution or the promotion of division based on ethnicity, culture or faith."
The parliamentary elections in Bahrain, which are scheduled for November 12, are taking place amid a climate of political repression after a decade in which the government has violated human rights, restricted civil society, outlawed political opposition parties, and shut down independent media, Amnesty International reported yesterday.
The Bahrain authorities ramped up a campaign to eliminate political opposition from 2016 onward, banning opposition political parties that had existed legally before the uprising in 2011. Major opposition parties, independent media outlets, and well-known opposition leaders have all been declared illegal by the government.
As a result, Bahrain currently lacks any political opposition figures who are not in prison, as well as any independent media that would be willing to publicly criticize the government.
Read next: Al-Wefaq: Boycotting Bahrain's elections is a national duty
“Over the past 11 years, the Bahraini authorities have crushed all forms of dissent and severely clamped down on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association,” said Amna Guellali, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Meet this legendary hero from #Bahrain who bravely faces the heavily armed police forces calling them not to trust the Zio/ enemy & stressing that there is absolutely no point in normalisatng with this artificial entity that slaughters #Palestinian children pic.twitter.com/vsbIGhqwWb
— سُنْدس الأسعد (@SondossAlAsaad) November 4, 2022
Yesterday, a series of protests erupted across Manama, with people demanding their basic rights on the eve of the elections.
تظاهرات بمناطق #البحرين عشية الانتخابات الصورية التي يقاطعها الشعب
— قناة العالم الفضائية-فيديو (@v_alalamnews) November 11, 2022
انطلقت تظاهرات في شوارع ومناطق البحرين عشية الانتخابات الصورية التي يقاطعها شعب البحرين
وفي وقت سابق صرحت منظمة العفو الدولية إن الانتخابات التشريعية التي ينظمها النظام البحريني ستجري في بيئة يسودها القمع السياسي pic.twitter.com/ltxKgiPodX
Yet, western media remain blind to their struggle.
Protests erupt across #Bahrain calling for a boycott of Saturday’s parliamentary elections.
— Zulfikar Ali (@ZulfikarAli514) November 11, 2022
Peaceful marches have also been spotted west of the capital Manama. pic.twitter.com/RwwwI80MdQ
A few hours ago, Altoufan team reported hacking the parliament website.
Altoufan team have hacked the parliament website https://t.co/JQA5kSeChw#الطوفان #البحرين #فريق_الطوفان #ALTOUFANTEM #Bahrain pic.twitter.com/Z9L38fjtwF
— ALTOUFAN TEAM (@altoufanteam) November 11, 2022
Read more: Bahrainis protest against regime on elections eve
