(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Bahrain has announced the next round of controversial by-elections for the nine remaining constituencies as the spectre of another low voter turnout looms.
The kingdom will hold a second round of by-elections on October 1 in nine of eighteen constituencies, Bahraini authorities announced on Sunday, AFP reported.
The polls were held to replace al-Wefaq party’s 18 lawmakers that resigned in February to protest Saudi-backed Al Khalifa regime’s brutal crackdown on popular anti-government protesters.
During the first round of by-elections held this weekend, less than twenty percent of eligible voters, according to Manama’s official website, cast their ballots as the main opposition al-Wefaq boycotted the polls after the regime forces, backed by Saudi troops, killed scores of demonstrators, injuring and detaining hundreds more over a few months.
Voting did not take place in four districts where government-backed candidates ran uncontested and automatically won parliamentary seats while five seats were allocated at the end of Saturday's elections, a government statement said.
Of the 14 contested seats, another poll will be held for nine seats since no candidate was able to win at least 50 percent of the vote, necessary to reach the parliament, the statement added.
Al-Wefaq leader Sheikh Ali Salman said the election results showed that the Bahraini people rejected King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's reforms.
“There is no such thing as Bahraini democracy. There has to be peaceful rotation of power,” Salman added.
He went on to say that as long as there is no power transition in the country, Manama will face more crises.
Some media reports from Bahrain also indicate that the regime even considered punishing eligible voters that refused to take part in the show elections.
Regime forces attacked opposition protesters that were calling for an election boycott in Manama on Friday.
Thousands of anti-government protesters have been staging demonstrations in Bahrain since mid-February, demanding political reforms and a constitutional monarchy -- a demand that later changed to an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family after its brutal crackdown on the popular protests.
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The kingdom will hold a second round of by-elections on October 1 in nine of eighteen constituencies, Bahraini authorities announced on Sunday, AFP reported.
The polls were held to replace al-Wefaq party’s 18 lawmakers that resigned in February to protest Saudi-backed Al Khalifa regime’s brutal crackdown on popular anti-government protesters.
During the first round of by-elections held this weekend, less than twenty percent of eligible voters, according to Manama’s official website, cast their ballots as the main opposition al-Wefaq boycotted the polls after the regime forces, backed by Saudi troops, killed scores of demonstrators, injuring and detaining hundreds more over a few months.
Voting did not take place in four districts where government-backed candidates ran uncontested and automatically won parliamentary seats while five seats were allocated at the end of Saturday's elections, a government statement said.
Of the 14 contested seats, another poll will be held for nine seats since no candidate was able to win at least 50 percent of the vote, necessary to reach the parliament, the statement added.
Al-Wefaq leader Sheikh Ali Salman said the election results showed that the Bahraini people rejected King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's reforms.
“There is no such thing as Bahraini democracy. There has to be peaceful rotation of power,” Salman added.
He went on to say that as long as there is no power transition in the country, Manama will face more crises.
Some media reports from Bahrain also indicate that the regime even considered punishing eligible voters that refused to take part in the show elections.
Regime forces attacked opposition protesters that were calling for an election boycott in Manama on Friday.
Thousands of anti-government protesters have been staging demonstrations in Bahrain since mid-February, demanding political reforms and a constitutional monarchy -- a demand that later changed to an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family after its brutal crackdown on the popular protests.
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