MANAMA: Al Wefaq, which is pulled out from the elections 2014, on Saturday rejected the election authority’s claims that there will be a record turnout during the polling for the election 2014 set to close in few minutes.
Bahrainis are electing the fourth parliamentary house during an elections which had been overshadowed by the opposition calls to boycott them urging people don’t participate in the general polls. However, many shia’s candidates who are contesting for the parliament and municipal seats is a real setback for opposition parties like Al Wefaq.
Following are the details of Press conference held on Saturday by opposition parties at Al Wefaq party’s HQs and published by Al Wefaq on its website.
“The election authority is holding these elections unilaterally whilst it is keeping more than 3000 prisoners behind bars, including Ebrahim Shareef, who is the former Secretary-General of the National Democratic Action Society, and other political figures,” Sheikh Ali Salman, Secretary General of Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, said.
Salman was speaking during a press conference held by the National Democratic Opposition Parties at Al Wefaq headquarters on the day of elections (Saturday 22nd November 2014).
Salman noted that human rights violations such as arrests, home raids and unfair trials are ongoing. The Authority revoked nationality from 50 Bahrainis so far, solely for joining peaceful assemblies and demonstrations. Today, he said, 50 areas around Bahrain were subjected to collective punishment leaving protesters with shotgun injuries.
“According to numbers published in Al Wasat newspaper, Al Wefaq won 83,000 votes in the 2010 elections”, Salman added, “ This time, Al Wefaq is boycotting along with the other opposition groups. The Authority can announce whatever voter turnout. The Authority said it did not demolish mosques, and then the Bassiouni report came to say it demolished 38 mosques. The Authority also denied torture, and then the Bassiouni report confirmed 4 cases of torture to death among hundreds of cases of torture. The Authority denied it has political prisoners in jail although the UN and other rights groups called for their release”.
He criticized the Authority for being the only party organizing and monitoring the elections which lack transparency.
Salman noted that 80% of the voters participating in the elections today are serving in the public services that are under pressure by the State. Only 17% of voters are not under official pressure. Salman called on the British Ambassador to visit polling stations in areas of opposition, instead of visiting a mall “whereby you will be promoting propaganda for the Authority”.
Salman urged the Secretary-General of the United Nations to sanction a political solution to the Bahraini crisis