(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - “We welcome the idea of bringing in an outside element,” al-Wefaq's member Jasim Hussein said on Sunday, adding that the society has accepted the offer of Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah to act as a mediator.
Anti-government protests against the rule of the Al Khalifa dynasty in Bahrain began in mid-February. So far, at least 24 people have been killed, almost 100 have gone missing and about 1,000 others have been injured.
The violence against protesters escalated when Saudi Arabia and the UAE deployed their troops in Bahrain.
Last week Bahraini opposition groups led by al-Wefaq rejected King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's offer of talks, saying the government should comply with the protesters' demands.
Hussein stressed that the negotiations had to address issues raised by Bahrain's Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa.
The issues included the formation of an elected government, reform of electoral districts that the opposition says were drawn to ensure the election of a Sunni majority in parliament.
“The fear is that the results [of mediation] may not be acceptable to the opposition or that they can't be sold to the public,” Reuters quoted Hussein as saying.
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