Bahrain opposition claims rigging ahead of polls
dpa German Press Agency
Published: Sunday November 12, 2006
Manama- Bahrain’s largest opposition Shiite group on Sunday reiterated opposition fears over “vote-buying” and electoral fraud ahead of November 25 elections. Sheikh Ali Salman, head of the al-Wefaq Islamic Society told reporters “a huge amount” of money was being circulated in an attempt to influence the outcome of the elections, alleging that some political societies and groups had been promised thousands of Bahraini dinars in return for their votes.
Salman also expressed alarm over alleged “naturalization” by the government, which the opposition claims is an effort to change the demography of the Gulf island that has a Shiite majority estimated to stand at 75 per cent of the population.
Bahrain opposition claims rigging ahead of polls
dpa German Press Agency
Published: Sunday November 12, 2006
Manama- Bahrain’s largest opposition Shiite group on Sunday reiterated opposition fears over “vote-buying” and electoral fraud ahead of November 25 elections. Sheikh Ali Salman, head of the al-Wefaq Islamic Society told reporters “a huge amount” of money was being circulated in an attempt to influence the outcome of the elections, alleging that some political societies and groups had been promised thousands of Bahraini dinars in return for their votes.
Salman also expressed alarm over alleged “naturalization” by the government, which the opposition claims is an effort to change the demography of the Gulf island that has a Shiite majority estimated to stand at 75 per cent of the population.
“We believe that in the last two weeks alone an average of 200 people daily referred to the naturalization authorities to obtain passports,” Salman said. “We also monitoring the cases where non- nationals are changing their details to indicate that they are now Bahraini nationals.
The Bahraini government insists however that all such cases are in line with legislation. Election officials have meanwhile maintained that there is evidence to support vote-buying claims.
Bahrain’s parliamentary and municipal elections will take place on November 25, with the second round of elections, if needed, scheduled for December 2.
The November elections will be the second time that Bahrainis will be able to vote to elect a fully representative municipal councils, and half of the 80 National Assembly members.
The first parliamentary elections in 2002, which came after more than three decades of disbanding the Bahraini parliament, were boycotted by four of the opposition groups that refused to recognize the new constitution.
The four societies, some of which had elected representatives in the five municipal councils, will have candidates running in this year’s parliamentary elections.
© 2006 dpa German Press Agency
