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Bahrain's Shiite opposition group al-Wefaq rallies ahead of elections

Arab World Materials 21 October 2010 08:12 (UTC +04:00)
Bahrain's largest Islamic Shiite opposition group, al-Wefaq, drew tens of thousands to a rally late Wednesday in an effort to show it had not lost popularity among grass-root supporters ahead of elections this week, dpa reported.
Bahrain's Shiite opposition group al-Wefaq rallies ahead of elections

Bahrain's largest Islamic Shiite opposition group, al-Wefaq, drew tens of thousands to a rally late Wednesday in an effort to show it had not lost popularity among grass-root supporters ahead of elections this week, dpa reported.

An estimated 30,000 and 40,000 people filled the makeshift arena that was hastily setup on the outskirts of the capital Manama, exceeding organizers' expectations.

"Al-Wefaq was the voice for your demands in local and international forums, shielded you from harm, and achieved some of the goals you were seeking," Sheikh Salman told the crowds as he urged them to turn out in force to vote in Saturday's parliamentary and municipal elections, the island's third elections this decade.

The event was seen as a message that the movement continues to be a heavy weight player in local politics as forces in the government have tried to downplay al-Wefaq's impact and other Shiite opposition groups have called for an election boycott.

Thirty-five of the 40 seats in parliament are still up for grabs in the first round of elections, while five candidates have already secured their seat. Al-Wefaq, which won 17 seats in 2006 and is fielding 18 candidates this time around, also had an incumbent win his seat uncontested.

Discontent over perceived parliamentary ineffectiveness, al- Wefaq's inability to bring about immense change from within, and calls by other Shiite opposition groups to boycott the vote are seen as an imminent threat to the movement's prospects in this year's vote.

The opposition has claimed a massive security crackdown, which began in August against an all-Shiite alleged terror group accused of attempting to overthrow the regime, was in part meant to discredit the opposition and influence the election.

The government had denied such allegations, saying the arrests of more then 250 people, including 23 opposition figures who had called for boycotting the elections, came in-light of the plot discovery.

Officials had also described the ensuing tightening of security measures as aimed at creating a safer and more stable voting environment. The opposition claimed it was a pretext to roll-back reforms and freedoms introduced by Bahrain's king, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, in 2002 as part of an effort to end the unrest witnessed since the mid 1990s.

Last week, officials said the elections would be free, fair, and transparent with the use of UN-approved transparent ballot boxes, NGO election monitors and webcams in polling stations. Bahrain has declined to allow international monitors pointing to sovereignty concerns.

The 40 members of the upper house, Shura, are appointed by the king.

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