The National Democratic Opposition Parties in Bahrain stated that the Crown Prince has not made any difference to the political and rights situation by stepping into the dialogue that was launched in January 2014.
The opposition parties mentioned, in a press conference at Al-Wefaq HQ, that the Crown Prince held a single meeting with them and this was not followed by genuine measures to create the appropriate environment for dialogue. The Crown Prince’s initiative is put under question as to the powers given to the him.
The opposition parties pointed out that the dialogue announced in February 2013 wasn’t a genuine one. They said the Authority in Bahrain was buying time and tried to mislead the international community, by paying PR firms, to create an image of a real dialogue.
Abduljalil Khalil, who headed Al-Wefaq’s political bloc, confirmed that not one bilateral meeting was held with the concerned officials after the Crown Prince’s meeting with opposition representatives in February 2014. “Real dialogue is frozen, and the Authority’s current option is the security solution”, he stated.
The opposition parties also mentioned that they have delivered a number of initiatives to the Authority over the past 3 years and are waiting for a response. They said the responses they had received were “not positive” and that they remain ready for a real dialogue that is preceded with genuine positive steps.
The opposition parties blamed hardliners within the regime for blocking potential solutions to the crisis.
The opposition parties called on influential players in the region and world to stop the regime’s violence and save the people of Bahrain.
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