MANAMA, 30 September 2006 — Bahraini anti-riot police clashed with scores of protesters during an anti-naturalization political rally on the outskirts of Manama yesterday afternoon.
Riot police closed off the upmarket Seef district of the capital Manama where protesters chanted “No to political naturalization”.
The protest centered on a June 2002 decree allowing citizens of other Gulf states to take up dual Bahraini nationality, with the opposition claiming the government grants citizenship to foreigners serving in the security and armed forces to alter the demographic balance of the primarily Shiite country.
Clashes broke out in yesterday’s anti-naturalization march when a group of protesters marched beyond the agreed point and broke a police barrier and began to hurl stones at police lines. Police responded firing tear gas into the crowd. At least two protesters suffered minor injuries.
From the beginning, the organizers — who include five opposition groups set to take part in the upcoming parliamentary elections — were at odds with the police over the route of the rally.
The head of the organizing committee for the march, Saeed Al-Majid, blamed the violence on the government for making the route too strict, saying that the Ministry of Interior was trying to prevent the public from expressing their opposition to the naturalization policies.
“The march criticizes the ministry itself for carrying out naturalizations of Asians outside the boundaries of national conformity,” Al-Majid said.
“They are trying to distract the public from the main issue, which is naturalization, and the scandal that was uncovered by Al Bandar report,” he said referring to a controversial report authored by Salah Al-Bandar, a former government adviser, alleging election irregularities. Bander, a British citizen of Sudanese descent, was expelled from Bahrain on Sept. 13 amid accusations of espionage.
Elections Set for Nov. 25
Parliamentary and municipal elections are due to be held on Nov. 25, and opposition groups are due to take part after boycotting the 2002 polls in protest at what they said was government interference in the make-up of the Parliament.
King Hamad issued a royal decree setting the date and times for the parliamentary elections. Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa ibn Salman Al-Khalifa set the same dates for municipal elections. If needed, a second round of elections will take place on Dec. 2, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported late Thursday.
Public prosecutor Wael Rasheed Bouallay was appointed to supervise the elections in a move to secure full transparency.
Bahraini nationals hoping to enter the 40-member Chamber of Deputies can register their candidacy between Oct. 12 and 16, according to the royal decree. Candidates for the municipal elections can register between Oct. 20 and 24, said the ministerial decree.
Bahrainis living or traveling abroad can cast votes three days earlier on Nov. 21 for the first round and on Nov. 28 for the second round at Bahraini embassies, consulates, and diplomatic missions.
