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Bahrain’s government said yesterday it was ready for dialogue with the opposition, which is boycotting today’s legislative and municipal polls, the first since a Shia-led uprising nearly four years ago. |
“The door to dialogue will never be shut, including with Al Wefaq,” Information Minister Samira Rajab said in an interview with AFP, referring to the main Shia opposition movement.
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of the Shia village of Diraz yesterday pledging to boycott the polls, with police firing teargas to disperse them, witnesses said.
“Boycott! Boycott!” the demonstrators chanted.
Shia demonstrators frequently clash with security forces in villages outside the capital Manama and hundreds have been arrested and faced trial since the uprising.
The political rivals have struggled to bury their differences through a so-called “national dialogue” that fell apart despite several rounds of negotiations.
Al Wefaq chief Sheikh Ali Salman told AFP yesterday that the opposition could only resume talks with the government if it agreed to implement reforms in line with a strict timetable.
The boycott stems from “the people’s demand for democratic reforms”, he said, predicting a maximum 30% turnout at the polls. The electorate of almost 350,000 will be called to choose 40 deputies.
Al Wefaq was in October banned by a Bahraini court from carrying out any activities for three months for violating a law on associations.
The movement engaged in several rounds of talks with the authorities but refused to resume discussions in September despite a new proposal announced by Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifah.
The proposal had five core elements, including the redefinition of electoral districts and permission for parliament to question the premier and his ministers.
The security forces would also be bound by new codes of conduct.
At the time, Al Wefaq chief Salman said the proposal “ignores the legitimate demands of the people”.
He said yesterday he did not expect the opposition to reach an agreement with the government, following protests which he said had cost “at least 100 lives” over the past three years.
The information minister, for her part, insisted that Bahrain would not tolerate “chaos”.
“Violence is not allowed. It is tantamount to terrorism,” Rajab said.
She also denounced “foreign interference”, saying it fanned tensions and stood in the way of an agreement with the opposition.
Bahrain has repeatedly accused Iran of backing the Shia opposition.
