Bahraini Opposition Leader Renews Call on Election Boycott
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Secretary General of Bahrain’s main opposition party al-Wefaq National Islamic Society voiced strong opposition to clinging to power of a specific family in the Arab country, urging people not to participate in the forthcoming state-run parliamentary elections.
“We are opposed to any clan government in Bahrain,” Sheikh Ali Salman was quoted as saying by al-Wefaq website.
He once again called on Bahrainis not to take part in the elections, and encouraged the nation to ignore the threats about the consequences of boycotting the polls.
Slaman stressed that the Bahrainis are not “slaves” nor are they a tool for the ruling family to announce a high turnout in the polls, but they are “free citizens who are fighting for democracy.”
The Bahraini opposition groups say the upcoming vote will be undemocratic and will only give credit to the Al Khalifa rule.
The election will be the first since protests started in Bahrain in 2011.
Since mid-February 2011, thousands of protesters have held numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling on the Al Khalifa royal family to step down from power.
The protesters have also slammed the Manama regime’s arrest and torture of the political activists, demanding their release.
