Bahrain opposition parties demand the regime to stop its dangerous violations

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The National Democratic Opposition Parties in Bahrain demanded the regime to stop its dangerous violations against the citizens. The opposition parties demanded the regime to immediately start implementing the recommendations of both the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and the United Nations Human Rights Council, to thus, ease tension on both the political and security levels and prevent instability in civil peace.   The opposition parties said in a statement issued Tuesday, on the 42nd anniversary of Bahrain’s independence, that the Bahraini people have struggled until they achieved independence for their country from the British mandate forces in 1971 pursuant to the memorandum of the British High Commissioner which stated to end the active treaty relations between the United Kingdom and the State of Bahrain given that the treaty contradicts with a fully independent and sovereign state. The memorandum also stated the end of the 23rd December 1880 and 13th March 1892 treaties between the two states.      The statement said Bahrain’s independence came after the people determined to build an independent state which respects human rights and maintains unity as stated in the memorandum of the United Nations delegate who chaired the Commission of Inquiry in 1974. Then came the establishment of the National Assembly (Parliament) in 1972, another important step on the way to independence followed by the issuance of the contractual constitution in December 1973 that paved the way to parliamentary life and the election of the National Assembly in 1974. Sadly, this experience was buried on the 25th of August 1975 when the country entered the dark era of the State-security Law which lasted for more than one quarter of a decade. In 2001, hopes raised when the National Action Charter canceled the State-security Law to build a civil and democratic state of institutions and law.The statement stressed, by accepting membership in the United Nations, Bahrain is obliged to abide by international law and covenants, especially the UN Charter and the International Bill which are based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights.The opposition parties urged the Bahraini Authority to abide by these covenants and renewed their stance by affirming:1-     Freedom of opinion, expression and peaceful demonstration is a fundamental right ensured by the constitution and the international covenants Bahrain is part of. These covenants are the title of civil and democratic states which respect its people’s right to expression and peaceful demonstration anytime and anywhere, including the capital Manama.2-     The legitimate political demands raised by the people of Bahrain are represented in the Manama Document issued in October 2011, including an elected government which represents the will of the people, an elected full power parliament, fair electoral districts based on a one person one voice electoral system according to international charters, diversified security forces and an independent and impartial judicial authority.3-     Adherence to peacefulness in the rightful demands movement and renouncement of all forms of violence from any side as stated in opposition parties’ Nonviolent Principles Declaration issued in November 2012.4-     The crisis in Bahrain is a political constitutional one and can only be solved through serious dialogue and negotiation that lead to a new phase of respect of human rights and real democracy and equal citizenship in place of the security state that is repressing the fundamental rights of the citizens.5-     The call for protest on social networks are part of the rights every citizen should enjoy, as long as it is peaceful and does not call for violence or damage to public and private property as this is not accepted by the national democratic opposition parties.             13th August 2013Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society (AlWefaq)National Democratic Action Society (Waad)National Democratic Gathering Society (AlQawmi)Unitary National Democratic Assemblage (Wahdawy)Ekhaa National Society (Ekhaa)/129