(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Participants in a Bahraini national dialogue, set up to address grievances after protests earlier this year, have proposed expanding the powers of the Persian Gulf kingdom's elected Parliament, the state news agency said.
The talks, which ended on Sunday, were designed to propose reforms after a four-month crackdown by discriminate rulers that began in March and crushed weeks of protests led by the Shiite majority demanding a greater role in government.
But critics say the results of the dialogue may carry little weight since the country's largest Shiite opposition group, Wefaq, walked out of the dialogue last week.
Delegates at the dialogue's final session agreed to give Bahrain's elected lower council greater legislative and monitoring powers, the state news agency BNA said. The opposition has complained that the upper Shura council, which is appointed by the king, limits the influence of the elected Parliament.
"Overall, these decisions reinforce the Parliament's powers of scrutiny over the activities of the government, strengthening the accountability of ministers to the elected representatives of the people," BNA said.
No information was given on exactly how the Parliament would extend monitoring authorities or wield greater legislative powers, but dialogue officials said the proposals would be submitted to the king this week.
Wefaq pulled out of the talks last Sunday, complaining that its views were not being taken seriously and that it was not fairly represented.
It has criticized dialogue officials for only giving political opposition groups 35 out of 300 seats at the talks.
Bahrain has tried to address international criticism, including from its longtime U.S. ally, for its handling of the crackdown.
But Wefaq has argued the talks were just for show.
"The dialogue is clearly theatre, the goal of which was to market a particular dish ... What came out of the official media on the dialogue exposes lies and deceit," Wefaq official Sayed Hadi al-Mousawi said at a news conference on Sunday, according to the group's Twitter feed.
/106