Bahraini parliamentary election, 2006
Encyclopedia
Bahrain held parliamentary elections on 25 November 2006 for the 40-seat lower house of parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, as well as municipal elections. There was a 72% turnout in the first round of polling. As expected by most observers, Shi'a and Sunni Islamists dominated the poll, winning a clean sweep in the first round of voting, while liberal
and ex-communist
MPs lost all their seats. Four candidates of the left-wing National Democratic Action
(also known as Wa'ad) made it through to second round run-off which was held on December 2, 2006.
The election was preceded by a major political realignment that saw the four opposition parties that boycotted 2002's election agree to take part in the political process. The former alliance consists of Bahrain's main Shia Islamist party, Al Wefaq
, the radical Shia Islamist, Al Amal
, Leftist Waad
and the former Baathists
. To meet the challenge posed by Al Wefaq, the two main Sunni Islamist parties, the salafist Asalah and the Muslim Brotherhood
-affiliated Al-Menbar Islamic Society
, agreed to form a coalition to maximise their votes.
dominated the campaign, but with Al Wefaq entering the fray, competing candidates turned their attention to its agenda, particularly the party's relationship with the highest Shia religious body in Bahrain, the Islamic Scholars Council. Several candidates claimed that they were being forced out of the race, including Jassim Abdulaal of the Economists Bloc
, by influential clerics who told their congregations who to vote for http://mahmood.tv/?p=2914. The criticism became more pointed after the Council described Al Wefaq as the 'Bloc of Believers'.
The Shia Islamist Al Amal
, which has close links with the 'Shirazi faction', was most specific in its criticism. Its head, Sheikh Mohammad Ali Al Mahfood, complained: "The Islamic Scholars Council should not dictate how people vote and should allow them to make their own personal choices about the most competent candidates. It looks as if the Council has turned into a partisan umbrella for a specific society and this diminishes its authority and confines its influence. We have often blamed the government for appointing 40 members to the bi-cameral parliament, yet we are doing the same thing and hijacking the people's right to make their own choices" http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10082339.html
Al Wefaq in turn denied that it intimidated opponents; its leader, Sheikh Ali Salman
, told a press conference "Let's make it clear to those campaigning against us, that we respect our competitors, whoever they are, and would do nothing to harm them."http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=161636&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29238
Al Wefaq campaigned for greater government subsidies for low income families, with the party's candidate, Dr Jasim Husain, who is the University of Bahrain
Research Deanship Economic Research Unit Head, saying "People today have to pay rent, electricity, telephone, Internet and water bills, in addition to other fees. They have to buy food, clothing, pay for car instalments and even recreation. But this is impossible, because many fall short as their salaries are not enough." Dr Husain said that government complacency was a problem, especially after the latest United Nations Human Development Report 2006 ranks Bahrain 39th out of 177 countries and second only to Kuwait in the Arab world http://www.undp.org/. Dr Husain said that the country could do better by looking to the future: "The government should be giving more money to education and training, rather than defence and police. We are not saying that defence and police are not important, but they should be given less attention."http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=161719&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29239
The government responded to criticism on social welfare by announcing that it will put forward legislation so that Bahrain becomes the first Arab country to introduce unemployment benefit. According to economist, Alaa al-Yousuf, Bahrain has an unemployment rate of 15%, with women very over-represented http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2006/10/23/bahrain_plans_unemployment_benefits/. The government's announcement is interpreted as pre-emptive of an expected move by the new parliament to draft legislation to bring in unemployment benefit, which would allow MPs to claim the credit. The introduction of unemployment benefit was not supported by all candidates, National Unity Bloc
candidate in Hamad Town, Abbas Ayed, portrayed the move as symptomatic of a government approach that recognises problems after they happen, but has failed to take preventative measures to stop them in the first place. Instead, Mr Ayed called for greater investment in training and education for Bahraini workers: "Train them and remove expatriate workers and see if they can do their jobs or not."http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=161873&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29241
Al Wefaq and the other three parties that boycotted the 2002 poll have stated that they will use their presence in the 2006 parliament to campaign for a single elected legislature, and Al Wefaq has gone further and committed itself to reform of the judiciary. The party wants to see the Supreme Judiciary Council elected by all the judges in the country instead of being appointed by its Supreme Chairman King Hamad. Al Wefaq candidate Sayed Haidar Al Sitri has proposed that the elected president of the Council should be independent ensure and neither influenced by the National Assembly nor the government, saying: "Bahrain is developing and also its judiciary system, which we hope will be completely independent."http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=161119&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29233
The outgoing parliamentary speaker, Khalifa Al Dhahrani
, beat a strong challenge in his constituency in Riffa from Sheikh Salman Bin Saqr Al Khalifa, who is a member of the Al Khalifa
family and journalist with the Al Wasat newspaper. Sheikh Salman said that as a member of the royal ramily he hopes his decision to contest the elections will stimulate other members of the ruling families in the Persian Gulf countries to contest national elections and "end a tradition of not running in public polls"http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10084849.html.
Al Dhahrani, who is backed by Sunni Islamists, has a further challenge in retaining the speakership after his previous performance was criticised for failing to control radical Islamist MPs
in the debating chamber. Al Wefaq
leader Ali Salman
may run for speaker post elections.
Al Wefaq was skillful in how it criticised the government, taking it to task over its track record in providing goods and services to Bahrainis rather than questioning its political legitimacy per se - for instance, in a televised debate on Bahrain TV
, Ali Salman accused the administration of being 'lazy'http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22112006/323/bahrain-women-shiite-opposition-eye-bigger-role-polls.html and failing to meet its obligations in education and employment. This is a theme that Al Wefaq is likely to continue in parliament with Ali Salman promising, "If we find the necessary cooperation [from government], we will be highly positive. But if we find that the government or one of its ministers is stalling people's interests, then we will hold them responsible."http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10084211.html
, with one female candidate, Lateefa Al Gaood
, winning her seat by default even before polling began when her two opponents withdrew from the race. This makes her the first woman to serve in an elected parliament in the Persian Gulf. Critics have accused the government of engineering her victory because it wanted to see a woman win and they are aware that it is highly unlikely any woman will be elected in the voting.
Several female candidates faced an orchestrated campaign of political abuse against them through text messages telling them to withdraw from the contest and one woman had her election marquee burnt to the ground. Women's organisations have been strongly criticised for not doing enough to support female candidates; liberal columnist Sawsan Al Sha'er
commented, "We have seen business leaders, liberal thinkers and even foreign religious scholars move from one tent to the other to interact with constituents or deliver lectures. But we have not seen any women's organisation do or say anything throughout this month. We had high expectations because the elections are a golden opportunity for women to highlight their programmes and ambitions. But instead, we see that the women's societies have withdrawn into their shells." http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10084210.html
The Supreme Council for Women
activist and co-author of the Arab Human Development Report
, Dr Muneera Fakhro was standing for the Leftist National Democratic Action
(of which she is Vice-President) in suburban Isa Town. The NDA along with the National Unity Bloc were the only two parties fielding female candidates; both parties have their origins in Bahrain's Marxist movement. However, all parties with the exception of salafist Asalah have publicly stated that they do not object to women MPs. Asalah for its part has said that its position reflects its "honesty" and has inferred that opponents are being hypocritical.
The domination of politics by religious parties has seen concerns raised by the business community that their voice will be marginalised. The agenda of both Al Wefaq and the Sunni Islamists has been portrayed by opponents as "statist", while there are concerns that the government may be tempted to buy off opponents in parliament through traditional clientelism by providing their supporters with jobs in the civil service, thus further bloating the public sector. Ironically, business representatives, being both liberal and anti-sectarian, tend to have most in common with parties on the Left of Bahrain's political spectrum, such as the National Democratic Action
. Perhaps symbolically, the NDA's leader, Ibrahim Sharif
, is a former banker. However, with Left-wing and liberal parties faring badly in the polls, business groups have been urged not to back specific parties and risk alienating opponents, but to lobby MPs after the election to ensure they understand businesses' concerns http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=160863&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29230.
Al Sistani's intervention
The Leading Shia authority, Grand Ayatollah Al Sistani advised Bahraini Shi'a to participate in the poll, in a move similar to the edict received in 2002 by Salafist leader, Adel Al Mouawda
, from Sunni religious authorities in Saudi Arabia that allowed him and other Sunnis to vote and run in the elections.
Shia religious scholar Sheikh Isa Qassim
has been urging voters to go to turn out in the polls. "Boycotting the elections would be a grave mistake," said the fatwa that the Shiite establishment. According to a poll in Al Wasat newspaper, 1.9% of voters will heed calls for a boycott being made by a splinter group of Salafists and the Haq Movement
. Turnout was thus expected to be "fairly high" according to a survey by Al Wasat, which predicts that it should be significantly up on 2002's 53% participation rate.
Ex-Al Qaeda suspects contesting poll
Several individuals contesting the election had faced accused of links with international terrorism. In a bitter battle in Riffa, extremist Salafist, Jassim Al Saeedi
, was being challenged from the Right by Muhejeudeen Mohmood Mohyeden, who claimed that the government branded him an Al Qaeda operative. Mr Mohyeden says that the allegations arose from his role as a volunteer fighting against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=18440, but that instead of undermining his campaign the claims helped to raise his profile in the conservative constituency.
Municipal candidate, Muhieddin Khan, (who is backed by the National Justice Movement
) spent most of the election campaign before a Bahraini court charged with planning terror attacks. Mr Khan, along with three other alleged members of the cell, was only found not guilty on 20 November 2006, less than five days before the poll. After the verdict Mr Khan announced that he is suing the Bahraini government for BD700,000 for harassment.
On the Shia Right, Al Amal is seen as the direct descendent of the group that plotted a coup d'état in Bahrain in 1981; the party's leaders only returned to public life in Bahrain after they returned from exile or were released from prison in 2001.
Other controversies
The political campaign began in controversial circumstances in September 2006, with the Bandargate scandal
, in which it was alleged that a secret organization of government officials were planning to rig the elections to marginalize the Shia community. Under the plan, an alleged secret organization set up a slush fund
to finance candidates sympathetic to the government, with sums of hundreds of dinars given to several candidates in order to lessen the number of seats won by Al Wefaq
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/17/africa/ME_GEN_Bahrain_Elections.php. The plot led to crisis talks between King Hamad and the leaders of Bahrain's political parties, as well as senior clerics, such as Sheikh Isa Qassim
. After being given assurances from the King, opposition groups announced that they would continue to participate in the poll http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2006/October/middleeast_October184.xml§ion=middleeast.
Subsequently, poll monitors, the Bahrain Transparency Society, registered 79 violations ranging from oversized banners and posters, out-of-place billboards, attacks on the character of contenders, dissemination of lies and rumours, anti-women calls and the use of mosques to promote candidates.http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10083794.html. Opponents of prominent Leftist candidate, Dr Munira Fakhro, have sought to use text messaging to try to portray her as anti-religious, receiving backing from by both the government and Al Wefaq, and drawn attention to her personal wealth. Dr Fakhro dismissed the attacks: "To say that only a poor person can feel with the poor is ludicrous and illogical."
The only member of the royal family to contest the elections, Sheikh Salman bin Saqer Al-Khalifa, has alleged that his opponent in Riffa, Khalifa Al Dhahrani
, has the backing of a Kuwaiti tribe which should not be allowed to vote under the electoral rules but will be casting their votes for Mr Al Dhahrani.
The Haq Movement
has led a call for a boycott of the 2006 elections arguing that it is unconstitutional under the 1976 constitution, that the electoral districts have been heavily gerrymandered to favor the desires of the Al Khalifa
royal family, and that mass illegal political naturalization has taken place.
On 16 November 2006, two activists for the Haq Movement
, Dr. Mohammed Saeed and Hussain Abdelrazaq Alhabashi, were arrested by Bahraini police for distributing material urging Bahraini to boycott the November 25 elections.
:
There are also concerns that domination of parliament by Islamists from two different sects arguing contentious issues in the chamber may further encourage sectarianism. Bahrain's leading salafist politician, Sheikh Adel Al Mouwdah
, has sought to play down the fears and welcomed the prospect of working with Al Wefaq and other Shia Islamists, seeing opportunities for cooperation, saying "I would rather have Islamists from both Sunni and Shiite sects than liberal deputies who do not uphold Islamic values."
Government officials have sought to downplay concerns that the Islamist victory will have negative implications for personal freedoms in the Kingdom. Government spokeswoman, Ahdeya Ahmed
, said that the several Islamists represented in the previous parliament had not managed to pass legislation to segregate Bahrain University
or introduce 'Vice and Virtue' police, and neither had Shia and Sunni Islamists working together on municipal councils sought to target people's rights.
Almost immediately after Ms Ahmed made her comments, new Al Wefaq MP, Sayed Abdulla Al A'ali, announced that he wanted to see legislation introduced to restrict employment opportunities for women to prevent them entering 'male orientated jobs'http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=163056&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29254. While the government has reacted to the sweeping Islamist victory by announcing a clamp on alcohol sales in residential areas.
Economists Bloc
The Economists Bloc is a liberal political party in Bahrain which was represented by three MPs in the 2002-2006 parliament, but lost all its seats in the 2006 general election....
and ex-communist
Democratic Progressive Tribune - Bahrain
Progressive Democratic Tribune is a political outfit launched by returning exiles from the underground communist National Liberation Front - Bahrain in 2002. The group won three seats in the Bahraini parliament in the 2002 elections...
MPs lost all their seats. Four candidates of the left-wing National Democratic Action
National Democratic Action
The National Democratic Action Society - Wa'ad is Bahrain's largest leftist political party. It emerged out of the Popular Front, a radical clandestine opposition movement of Maoist, socialist and Arab nationalist orientation...
(also known as Wa'ad) made it through to second round run-off which was held on December 2, 2006.
The election was preceded by a major political realignment that saw the four opposition parties that boycotted 2002's election agree to take part in the political process. The former alliance consists of Bahrain's main Shia Islamist party, Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq National Islamic Society , also known as the Islamic National Accord Association, is a Bahraini political society, and the largest party in the Bahrain, both in terms of its membership and its results at the polls...
, the radical Shia Islamist, Al Amal
Islamic Action Society
The Islamic Action Society is one of the main Islamist political parties in Bahrain, and mainly appeals to Shīʻa followers of the Najaf-based Āyatu l-Lāh, Hādī al-Mudarrisī, who are known as "the Shirāzī faction"....
, Leftist Waad
National Democratic Action
The National Democratic Action Society - Wa'ad is Bahrain's largest leftist political party. It emerged out of the Popular Front, a radical clandestine opposition movement of Maoist, socialist and Arab nationalist orientation...
and the former Baathists
Nationalist Democratic Rally Society
Nationalist Democratic Assembly , a political group attached to the Baghdad-based Ba'ath Party in Bahrain. The organization is led by Rasul al-Jishi....
. To meet the challenge posed by Al Wefaq, the two main Sunni Islamist parties, the salafist Asalah and the Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
-affiliated Al-Menbar Islamic Society
Al-Menbar Islamic Society
Al Menbar National Islamic Society is the political wing of the Al Eslah Society in Bahrain, associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. A Sunni Islamist party, it is well organised through a network of mosques and seek to promote a conservative social agenda while not directly challenging the...
, agreed to form a coalition to maximise their votes.
Campaign
Predictably, the main issues of Bahraini politicsPolitics of Bahrain
Politics of Bahrain takes place in a framework of a constitutional monarchy, with an executive appointed by the King of Bahrain, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and a bi-cameral legislature, with the Chamber of Deputies elected by universal suffrage, and the Shura Council appointed directly by the king...
dominated the campaign, but with Al Wefaq entering the fray, competing candidates turned their attention to its agenda, particularly the party's relationship with the highest Shia religious body in Bahrain, the Islamic Scholars Council. Several candidates claimed that they were being forced out of the race, including Jassim Abdulaal of the Economists Bloc
Economists Bloc
The Economists Bloc is a liberal political party in Bahrain which was represented by three MPs in the 2002-2006 parliament, but lost all its seats in the 2006 general election....
, by influential clerics who told their congregations who to vote for http://mahmood.tv/?p=2914. The criticism became more pointed after the Council described Al Wefaq as the 'Bloc of Believers'.
Islamic Action Society
The Islamic Action Society is one of the main Islamist political parties in Bahrain, and mainly appeals to Shīʻa followers of the Najaf-based Āyatu l-Lāh, Hādī al-Mudarrisī, who are known as "the Shirāzī faction"....
, which has close links with the 'Shirazi faction', was most specific in its criticism. Its head, Sheikh Mohammad Ali Al Mahfood, complained: "The Islamic Scholars Council should not dictate how people vote and should allow them to make their own personal choices about the most competent candidates. It looks as if the Council has turned into a partisan umbrella for a specific society and this diminishes its authority and confines its influence. We have often blamed the government for appointing 40 members to the bi-cameral parliament, yet we are doing the same thing and hijacking the people's right to make their own choices" http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10082339.html
Al Wefaq in turn denied that it intimidated opponents; its leader, Sheikh Ali Salman
Ali Salman
Ali Salman is the president of the Al-Wefaq political society in Bahrain. He is a Twelver Shi'a cleric educated in Qom. In January 1995 the Bahraini government forcibly exiled him to Dubai for leading a popular campaign demanding the reinstatement of the constitution and the restoration of...
, told a press conference "Let's make it clear to those campaigning against us, that we respect our competitors, whoever they are, and would do nothing to harm them."http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=161636&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29238
Al Wefaq campaigned for greater government subsidies for low income families, with the party's candidate, Dr Jasim Husain, who is the University of Bahrain
University of Bahrain
The University of Bahrain , a public university in the Kingdom of Bahrain, is the largest university in Bahrain. In post-nominals the University of Bahrain is typically abbreviated as UoB....
Research Deanship Economic Research Unit Head, saying "People today have to pay rent, electricity, telephone, Internet and water bills, in addition to other fees. They have to buy food, clothing, pay for car instalments and even recreation. But this is impossible, because many fall short as their salaries are not enough." Dr Husain said that government complacency was a problem, especially after the latest United Nations Human Development Report 2006 ranks Bahrain 39th out of 177 countries and second only to Kuwait in the Arab world http://www.undp.org/. Dr Husain said that the country could do better by looking to the future: "The government should be giving more money to education and training, rather than defence and police. We are not saying that defence and police are not important, but they should be given less attention."http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=161719&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29239
Democratic Progressive Tribune - Bahrain
Progressive Democratic Tribune is a political outfit launched by returning exiles from the underground communist National Liberation Front - Bahrain in 2002. The group won three seats in the Bahraini parliament in the 2002 elections...
candidate in Hamad Town, Abbas Ayed, portrayed the move as symptomatic of a government approach that recognises problems after they happen, but has failed to take preventative measures to stop them in the first place. Instead, Mr Ayed called for greater investment in training and education for Bahraini workers: "Train them and remove expatriate workers and see if they can do their jobs or not."http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=161873&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29241
The outgoing parliamentary speaker, Khalifa Al Dhahrani
Khalifa Al Dhahrani
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa King of Bahrain, assigned the Speaker of the Council of Representatives Mr. Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Dahrani to chair the National Dialogue because of the popularity and confidence he enjoys among all the political forces, in addition to his broad experience...
, beat a strong challenge in his constituency in Riffa from Sheikh Salman Bin Saqr Al Khalifa, who is a member of the Al Khalifa
Al Khalifa
The Al Khalifa family is the ruling family of Bahrain. The Al Khalifa profess Sunni Islam and belong to the Anizah tribe that migrated from Najd to Kuwait in the early 18th century. They are also from the Utub tribe...
family and journalist with the Al Wasat newspaper. Sheikh Salman said that as a member of the royal ramily he hopes his decision to contest the elections will stimulate other members of the ruling families in the Persian Gulf countries to contest national elections and "end a tradition of not running in public polls"http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10084849.html.
Mohammed Khalid
One of Bahrain’s most outspoken Islamist MPs is Sheikh Mohammed Khalid, the Al-Menbar Islamic Society representative from the Northern Governorate...
in the debating chamber. Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq National Islamic Society , also known as the Islamic National Accord Association, is a Bahraini political society, and the largest party in the Bahrain, both in terms of its membership and its results at the polls...
leader Ali Salman
Ali Salman
Ali Salman is the president of the Al-Wefaq political society in Bahrain. He is a Twelver Shi'a cleric educated in Qom. In January 1995 the Bahraini government forcibly exiled him to Dubai for leading a popular campaign demanding the reinstatement of the constitution and the restoration of...
may run for speaker post elections.
Al Wefaq was skillful in how it criticised the government, taking it to task over its track record in providing goods and services to Bahrainis rather than questioning its political legitimacy per se - for instance, in a televised debate on Bahrain TV
Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation
Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation is a Corporation established in January 1993 to regulate visual and audio broadcasting in the Kingdom of Bahrain according to Amir decree . 96.5 fm Bahrain Radio Timings: ...
, Ali Salman accused the administration of being 'lazy'http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22112006/323/bahrain-women-shiite-opposition-eye-bigger-role-polls.html and failing to meet its obligations in education and employment. This is a theme that Al Wefaq is likely to continue in parliament with Ali Salman promising, "If we find the necessary cooperation [from government], we will be highly positive. But if we find that the government or one of its ministers is stalling people's interests, then we will hold them responsible."http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10084211.html
Women candidates
A large number of women candidates are contesting the pollBahrain election 2006 women candidates
Women candidates of the 2006 Bahrain election, which took place on the November 25, 2006 were reported to have received numerous threats from Islamic salafist and other factions to prevent them taking part...
, with one female candidate, Lateefa Al Gaood
Lateefa Al Gaood
Lateefa Al Gaood is a Bahraini politician. In 2006, she became the first female candidate to be elected to the Council of Representatives of Bahrain. She won by default after the other two candidates in her constituency withdrew from the race in the middle of October before campaigning began...
, winning her seat by default even before polling began when her two opponents withdrew from the race. This makes her the first woman to serve in an elected parliament in the Persian Gulf. Critics have accused the government of engineering her victory because it wanted to see a woman win and they are aware that it is highly unlikely any woman will be elected in the voting.
Several female candidates faced an orchestrated campaign of political abuse against them through text messages telling them to withdraw from the contest and one woman had her election marquee burnt to the ground. Women's organisations have been strongly criticised for not doing enough to support female candidates; liberal columnist Sawsan Al Sha'er
Sawsan Al Sha'er
Sawsan Al Sha’er is widely regarded as Bahrain’s most influential liberal intellectual. A journalist and author, she is a columnist with Al Watan newspaper, having joined the staff there from the pro-government Al Ayam....
commented, "We have seen business leaders, liberal thinkers and even foreign religious scholars move from one tent to the other to interact with constituents or deliver lectures. But we have not seen any women's organisation do or say anything throughout this month. We had high expectations because the elections are a golden opportunity for women to highlight their programmes and ambitions. But instead, we see that the women's societies have withdrawn into their shells." http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10084210.html
The Supreme Council for Women
Supreme Council for Women
The Supreme Council for Women is Bahrain’s advisory body to the government on women's issues. It is chaired by Sheikha Sabika bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the wife of Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa...
activist and co-author of the Arab Human Development Report
Arab Human Development Report
The Arab Human Development Report is an independent report sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme , providing leading Arab scholars a platform through which to analyze the challenges and opportunities for human development in the Arab Region...
, Dr Muneera Fakhro was standing for the Leftist National Democratic Action
National Democratic Action
The National Democratic Action Society - Wa'ad is Bahrain's largest leftist political party. It emerged out of the Popular Front, a radical clandestine opposition movement of Maoist, socialist and Arab nationalist orientation...
(of which she is Vice-President) in suburban Isa Town. The NDA along with the National Unity Bloc were the only two parties fielding female candidates; both parties have their origins in Bahrain's Marxist movement. However, all parties with the exception of salafist Asalah have publicly stated that they do not object to women MPs. Asalah for its part has said that its position reflects its "honesty" and has inferred that opponents are being hypocritical.
Controversy
Business-political confluenceThe domination of politics by religious parties has seen concerns raised by the business community that their voice will be marginalised. The agenda of both Al Wefaq and the Sunni Islamists has been portrayed by opponents as "statist", while there are concerns that the government may be tempted to buy off opponents in parliament through traditional clientelism by providing their supporters with jobs in the civil service, thus further bloating the public sector. Ironically, business representatives, being both liberal and anti-sectarian, tend to have most in common with parties on the Left of Bahrain's political spectrum, such as the National Democratic Action
National Democratic Action
The National Democratic Action Society - Wa'ad is Bahrain's largest leftist political party. It emerged out of the Popular Front, a radical clandestine opposition movement of Maoist, socialist and Arab nationalist orientation...
. Perhaps symbolically, the NDA's leader, Ibrahim Sharif
Ibrahim Sharif
Ibrahim Sharif al-Sayed is a Sunni Arab opposition political activist in Bahrain, currently serving as the General Secretary of the secular liberal National Democratic Action Society . He succeeded former General Secretary Abdulrahman al-Nuaimi, who fell into a coma in April 2007 and died in 2011...
, is a former banker. However, with Left-wing and liberal parties faring badly in the polls, business groups have been urged not to back specific parties and risk alienating opponents, but to lobby MPs after the election to ensure they understand businesses' concerns http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=160863&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29230.
Al Sistani's intervention
The Leading Shia authority, Grand Ayatollah Al Sistani advised Bahraini Shi'a to participate in the poll, in a move similar to the edict received in 2002 by Salafist leader, Adel Al Mouawda
Adel Mouwda
Sheikh Adel Al Mouwda was the second deputy chairman of Bahrain's parliament of 2002, the Chamber of Deputies, and the former leader of salafist party, Asalah...
, from Sunni religious authorities in Saudi Arabia that allowed him and other Sunnis to vote and run in the elections.
Shia religious scholar Sheikh Isa Qassim
Isa Qassim
Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Ahmed Qassim is Bahrain's top Shia religious leader and a politician. He is the spiritual leader of Al Wefaq, Bahrain's biggest opposition society. He was the leader and is the founders of Islamic Awareness institution.- Biography :Isa Qassim was born in 1937 to a fisherman...
has been urging voters to go to turn out in the polls. "Boycotting the elections would be a grave mistake," said the fatwa that the Shiite establishment. According to a poll in Al Wasat newspaper, 1.9% of voters will heed calls for a boycott being made by a splinter group of Salafists and the Haq Movement
Haq Movement
The Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy is an opposition political organization in Bahrain founded in 2005 with Hasan Mushaima as its Secretary general...
. Turnout was thus expected to be "fairly high" according to a survey by Al Wasat, which predicts that it should be significantly up on 2002's 53% participation rate.
Ex-Al Qaeda suspects contesting poll
Several individuals contesting the election had faced accused of links with international terrorism. In a bitter battle in Riffa, extremist Salafist, Jassim Al Saeedi
Jassim Al Saeedi
Jassim Al Saeedi is a Bahraini salafist MP, member of parliament representing a constituency in Riffa.After he was banned from standing in 2002's general election for the main Salafist party, Asalah, for being "too extreme", Al Saeedi stood and won the election as an independent...
, was being challenged from the Right by Muhejeudeen Mohmood Mohyeden, who claimed that the government branded him an Al Qaeda operative. Mr Mohyeden says that the allegations arose from his role as a volunteer fighting against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=18440, but that instead of undermining his campaign the claims helped to raise his profile in the conservative constituency.
Municipal candidate, Muhieddin Khan, (who is backed by the National Justice Movement
National Justice Movement
The National Justice Movement , also known as the Al Adala Society, is a secular nationalist political party in Bahrain, founded on 5 March 2006 in Muharraq. It is led by former National Democratic Action lawyer, Abdullah Hashem...
) spent most of the election campaign before a Bahraini court charged with planning terror attacks. Mr Khan, along with three other alleged members of the cell, was only found not guilty on 20 November 2006, less than five days before the poll. After the verdict Mr Khan announced that he is suing the Bahraini government for BD700,000 for harassment.
On the Shia Right, Al Amal is seen as the direct descendent of the group that plotted a coup d'état in Bahrain in 1981; the party's leaders only returned to public life in Bahrain after they returned from exile or were released from prison in 2001.
Other controversies
The political campaign began in controversial circumstances in September 2006, with the Bandargate scandal
Bandargate scandal
The Al Bandar report refers to an alleged political conspiracy by the certain government officials in Bahrain to foment sectarian strife and marginalize the majority Shia community in the country...
, in which it was alleged that a secret organization of government officials were planning to rig the elections to marginalize the Shia community. Under the plan, an alleged secret organization set up a slush fund
Slush fund
A slush fund, colloquially, is an auxiliary monetary account or a reserve fund. However, in the context of corrupt dealings, such as those by governments or large corporations, a slush fund can have particular connotations of illegality, illegitimacy, or secrecy in regard to the use of this money...
to finance candidates sympathetic to the government, with sums of hundreds of dinars given to several candidates in order to lessen the number of seats won by Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq
Al Wefaq National Islamic Society , also known as the Islamic National Accord Association, is a Bahraini political society, and the largest party in the Bahrain, both in terms of its membership and its results at the polls...
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/17/africa/ME_GEN_Bahrain_Elections.php. The plot led to crisis talks between King Hamad and the leaders of Bahrain's political parties, as well as senior clerics, such as Sheikh Isa Qassim
Isa Qassim
Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Ahmed Qassim is Bahrain's top Shia religious leader and a politician. He is the spiritual leader of Al Wefaq, Bahrain's biggest opposition society. He was the leader and is the founders of Islamic Awareness institution.- Biography :Isa Qassim was born in 1937 to a fisherman...
. After being given assurances from the King, opposition groups announced that they would continue to participate in the poll http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2006/October/middleeast_October184.xml§ion=middleeast.
Subsequently, poll monitors, the Bahrain Transparency Society, registered 79 violations ranging from oversized banners and posters, out-of-place billboards, attacks on the character of contenders, dissemination of lies and rumours, anti-women calls and the use of mosques to promote candidates.http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10083794.html. Opponents of prominent Leftist candidate, Dr Munira Fakhro, have sought to use text messaging to try to portray her as anti-religious, receiving backing from by both the government and Al Wefaq, and drawn attention to her personal wealth. Dr Fakhro dismissed the attacks: "To say that only a poor person can feel with the poor is ludicrous and illogical."
The only member of the royal family to contest the elections, Sheikh Salman bin Saqer Al-Khalifa, has alleged that his opponent in Riffa, Khalifa Al Dhahrani
Khalifa Al Dhahrani
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa King of Bahrain, assigned the Speaker of the Council of Representatives Mr. Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Dahrani to chair the National Dialogue because of the popularity and confidence he enjoys among all the political forces, in addition to his broad experience...
, has the backing of a Kuwaiti tribe which should not be allowed to vote under the electoral rules but will be casting their votes for Mr Al Dhahrani.
The Haq Movement
Haq Movement
The Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy is an opposition political organization in Bahrain founded in 2005 with Hasan Mushaima as its Secretary general...
has led a call for a boycott of the 2006 elections arguing that it is unconstitutional under the 1976 constitution, that the electoral districts have been heavily gerrymandered to favor the desires of the Al Khalifa
Al Khalifa
The Al Khalifa family is the ruling family of Bahrain. The Al Khalifa profess Sunni Islam and belong to the Anizah tribe that migrated from Najd to Kuwait in the early 18th century. They are also from the Utub tribe...
royal family, and that mass illegal political naturalization has taken place.
On 16 November 2006, two activists for the Haq Movement
Haq Movement
The Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy is an opposition political organization in Bahrain founded in 2005 with Hasan Mushaima as its Secretary general...
, Dr. Mohammed Saeed and Hussain Abdelrazaq Alhabashi, were arrested by Bahraini police for distributing material urging Bahraini to boycott the November 25 elections.
Constituency contests profiled
- Capital Governorate Constituency 5
- Capital Governorate Constituency 7
- Central GovernorateCentral GovernorateThe Central Governorate is one of the five governorates of Bahrain. It includes parts of the former municipalities of Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Ar Rifa' wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Madinat 'Isa, Sitrah and A'ali....
Constituency 2 - Central GovernorateCentral GovernorateThe Central Governorate is one of the five governorates of Bahrain. It includes parts of the former municipalities of Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Ar Rifa' wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Madinat 'Isa, Sitrah and A'ali....
Constituency 4 - Muharraq Governorate Constituency 2
- Muharraq Governorate Constituency 3
- Muharraq Governorate Constituency 5
- Muharraq Governorate Constituency 7
- Northern GovernorateNorthern GovernorateThe Northern Governorate is one of the five governorates of Bahrain. It includes parts of the former municipalities of Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah al Shamaliyah, Jidd Haffs and Madinat Hamad....
Constituency 3 - Northern GovernorateNorthern GovernorateThe Northern Governorate is one of the five governorates of Bahrain. It includes parts of the former municipalities of Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah al Shamaliyah, Jidd Haffs and Madinat Hamad....
Constituency 4 - Northern GovernorateNorthern GovernorateThe Northern Governorate is one of the five governorates of Bahrain. It includes parts of the former municipalities of Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah al Shamaliyah, Jidd Haffs and Madinat Hamad....
Constituency 5
Polls
According to the Dubai-based Gulf NewsGulf News
Gulf News is a daily English language newspaper published from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates with a December 2009 BPA audited circulation of over 117,036 qualified copies...
:
- Tomorrow’s Parliamentary elections are widely expected to change the face of Bahrain's politics as the opposition is set to win the majority of seats of the Council of Representatives, controlled for the past four years by a strong pro-government block.
- However, a victory by the opposition, many in this open-minded and multicultural state fear, may deal a significant blow to the country's withering liberal tradition.
- The Islamists, led by Bahrain's biggest Islamic society, Al Wefaq, are coming, warns a leading liberal activist.
- The liberal elite are worried the upcoming Parliament "will restrict whatever personal freedoms may have been left" in a country where the people are used to a Western-like lifestyle, said Abdullah Al Madani.
- More than 30 Islamist candidates are expected to win seats, including 17 from Al Wefaq, a Shiite group, and six from the Sunni Salafi group Al Assalah.
There are also concerns that domination of parliament by Islamists from two different sects arguing contentious issues in the chamber may further encourage sectarianism. Bahrain's leading salafist politician, Sheikh Adel Al Mouwdah
Adel Mouwda
Sheikh Adel Al Mouwda was the second deputy chairman of Bahrain's parliament of 2002, the Chamber of Deputies, and the former leader of salafist party, Asalah...
, has sought to play down the fears and welcomed the prospect of working with Al Wefaq and other Shia Islamists, seeing opportunities for cooperation, saying "I would rather have Islamists from both Sunni and Shiite sects than liberal deputies who do not uphold Islamic values."
Government officials have sought to downplay concerns that the Islamist victory will have negative implications for personal freedoms in the Kingdom. Government spokeswoman, Ahdeya Ahmed
Ahdeya Ahmed
Ahdeya Ahmed is a Bahraini television personality, former government spokesperson and former spokesperson for the Bahrain Human Rights Watch. She began her career hosting a local talk show on Bahrain TV's Channel 2 on which she interviewed local and regional personalities discussing current...
, said that the several Islamists represented in the previous parliament had not managed to pass legislation to segregate Bahrain University
University of Bahrain
The University of Bahrain , a public university in the Kingdom of Bahrain, is the largest university in Bahrain. In post-nominals the University of Bahrain is typically abbreviated as UoB....
or introduce 'Vice and Virtue' police, and neither had Shia and Sunni Islamists working together on municipal councils sought to target people's rights.
Almost immediately after Ms Ahmed made her comments, new Al Wefaq MP, Sayed Abdulla Al A'ali, announced that he wanted to see legislation introduced to restrict employment opportunities for women to prevent them entering 'male orientated jobs'http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=163056&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29254. While the government has reacted to the sweeping Islamist victory by announcing a clamp on alcohol sales in residential areas.
Results
- The opposition Shia Islamist group, the Al-Wefaq National Islamic SocietyAl WefaqAl Wefaq National Islamic Society , also known as the Islamic National Accord Association, is a Bahraini political society, and the largest party in the Bahrain, both in terms of its membership and its results at the polls...
won 16 out of 17 seats it contested on the first round. The other seat went to a run off between two of its members, bringing its total to 17.
- The opposition leftist National Democratic ActionNational Democratic ActionThe National Democratic Action Society - Wa'ad is Bahrain's largest leftist political party. It emerged out of the Popular Front, a radical clandestine opposition movement of Maoist, socialist and Arab nationalist orientation...
(Wa'ad) won no seats in the first round but had four candidates through to the second round. It won none of these seats in the second round, however an independent candidate thought to be close to Wa'ad took one seat.
- The pro-government Sunni Islamist Al-Menbar Islamic SocietyAl-Menbar Islamic SocietyAl Menbar National Islamic Society is the political wing of the Al Eslah Society in Bahrain, associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. A Sunni Islamist party, it is well organised through a network of mosques and seek to promote a conservative social agenda while not directly challenging the...
party won four seats in the first round and three more in the second round
- The pro-government Salafist Islamist al-AsalaAsalaAsala may refer to:* Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia, a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla organization.* Asalah Nasri, Syrian singer* Al Asalah, a Salafist political party in Bahrain...
won four seats in the first round and one more in the second round An independent Salafi also won on the second round
- All members of the pro-government liberal Economists BlocEconomists BlocThe Economists Bloc is a liberal political party in Bahrain which was represented by three MPs in the 2002-2006 parliament, but lost all its seats in the 2006 general election....
and ex-Communist National Unity BlocDemocratic Progressive Tribune - BahrainProgressive Democratic Tribune is a political outfit launched by returning exiles from the underground communist National Liberation Front - Bahrain in 2002. The group won three seats in the Bahraini parliament in the 2002 elections...
lost their seats.
- Nine more independent pro-government candidates won, including Latifa al-Qouhoud who was elected unopposed, and becomes the first female parliamentarian in Bahrain.
- The Court of Cassation has heard various challenges to the results, including from Wa'ad candidate Munira FakhroMunira FakhroMunira Fakhro, is a Bahraini academic and was a candidate in Bahrain's 2006 general election for the opposition Waad.Dr Fakhro is Associate Professor at the University of Bahrain, having received her Doctorate in Social Policy, Planning and Administration from Columbia University where she has...
who contested her second round defeat to Al-Menbar Islamic SocietyAl-Menbar Islamic SocietyAl Menbar National Islamic Society is the political wing of the Al Eslah Society in Bahrain, associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. A Sunni Islamist party, it is well organised through a network of mosques and seek to promote a conservative social agenda while not directly challenging the...
's Dr Salah Ali.