(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - "The process of reform that marked the beginning of my tenure in power will not stop," said King Hamad on Thursday.
"We hope in this important period that all forces and groups will assess their actions and join the process of progress and reforms".
"Doors remain open to dialogue, which is aimed at achieving a national accord", added the monarch who succeeded to the throne of the Shiite majority kingdom in 1999.
According to the amendments, the king now has to consult the heads of the elected parliament and the appointed Consultative Council before dissolving the legislature.
The elected chamber alone now has the right to vote to withhold its cooperation from the prime minister and refer its decision to the king, who then has the final choice on whether to dismiss the premier or keep him in post.
MEANINGLESS REFORMS
For its part, the opposition considered the reforms as meaningless and didn’t meet with the demands presented by the opposition parties.
In a press conference held by Bahrain opposition societies, parties pledged to keep on with their peaceful moves.
“The new amendments do not meet with the Manama Document which was presented by opposition parties as a roadmap to resolve the political crisis in Bahrain, nor do they meet the seven reform principles announced by the Crown Prince last year”, said Abdul-Jalil Khalil, former MP and member of the prominent opposition group al-Wefaq.
The reforms “do not reflect the demands of the Bahraini people, who will continue their pro-democratic movement and will not stop at such government games”, he added.
"Not to mention, authorities preferred to impose security and military measures instead of pushing forward a serious fruitful dialogue with the pro-democracy opposition. They missed the right track towards meaningful reforms”, Waad's Deputy Secretary, General Radhi Mosawi said.
"The new constitutional amendments are meaningless and have added nothing to Bahrain's political life. They are just a false media make-up hiding a very tyrannical reality”, said Ekhaa Secretary General Mousa Ansari.
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