MANAMA, 22 October — Bahrain’s King Hamad yesterday urged his people to participate in Thursday’s parliamentary elections "to elect the most qualified and competent candidates to shoulder the responsibility."
The king called for a large turnout in the polls, which four political movements have threatened to boycott in protest at changes to the island’s constitution.
The king called in a televised speech on the "different institutions and educational, religious, intellectual and media cadres to endeavor to consolidate the national allegiance." But he added that the decision to vote or refrain from voting was a democratic right for every citizen. "We respect the views and visions of all opponents under the formula of democracy, law and positive spirit."
The Islamic National Accord Association (INAA), the main political formation of Bahrain’s majority Shiite population, which was at the forefront of violent protests in the 1990s, announced last month it would boycott the elections. It was joined by the leftist National Democratic Action Association (NDAA), the Nationalist Democratic Rally (NDR, pan-Arab nationalist) and the Islamic Action Association (IAA).
They said they would shun the archipelago’s first parliamentary elections since 1975 so as not to appear to be endorsing constitutional amendments that breach commitments made in a national charter overwhelmingly approved in a referendum in February 2001.
INAA president Sheikh Ali Salman hailed the "positive spirit" of King Hamad’s speech, but upheld his group’s decision to boycott the polls.
"The boycott is tied to the constitutional amendment and if that does not change, our position will remain the same," Salman said. "The elected council will be paralyzed when it comes to legislative affairs and the right to oversee financial and political issues."
NDR’s No. 2 Hassan Al-Aali said the speech contained several positive things, notably the right of the citizens to take part or boycott.
"The speech also linked taking part in the elections to the process of reforms. We have several times let it be known that we support the reforms but have reservations about constitutional amendments that harm parliamentary life."
Mansour Al-Jemri, editor in chief of Al-Wasat, said he did not agree with the boycott. "The idea of ‘all or nothing’ is completely wrong. A group like INAA should not withdraw from the scene as they have fought for this election to take place. They should contribute to the new parliament," said Al-Jemri, who once lived in exile in London as an opposition activist.
He expressed his concern about the effect of their absence. "It will bring forward a lot of unqualified candidates in the northern, central and capital provinces," he told Arab News.
Al-Jemri said that press freedom exists in Bahrain, but not to the extent he would like. "We are engaged in an important political process. Although the press practices freedom of speech, we don’t have an overall press law yet."
Badr Abdul Malek, an exiled opposition leader who returned to Bahrain in 2000, has decided to run for election. "I consider the boycott to be a result of a lack of political vision and experience," he said.
He used to support the opposition, but after the reforms he decided to enroll in the political movement and "help the people of this country to live a better life."
The idea of the boycott began as a ploy to force the King to abdicate. Abdul Malek thinks that the decision to boycott the election will backfire and cost its supporters dear.
"It’s easy to oppose," he said, "but better to try and build a political vision."
The reason for the boycott is given as the appointment, rather than the election of, a full Shoura Council, which will have equal authority with parliament.
Abdul Malek believes that now the dissenters are working inside Bahrain, a way of overcoming this impasse may be reached. "I judge these excuses for a boycott as a way of blackmailing the nation," he said.
