Sunday Times 2
Voting underway in Bahrain amid Shiite opposition boycott
View(s):MANAMA, Nov 22 (AFP) -Bahrainis went to the polls today for the first legislative elections since a 2011 uprising, but the vote is being boycotted by the Shiite opposition that led Gulf kingdom’s pro-democracy movement.
A Bahraini woman holds signs calling for the boycott of the upcoming parliamentary elections during a rally in the Shiite village of Diraz (AFP)
The electorate of almost 350,000 is being called to choose 40 deputies, with Sunnis making up most of the 266 candidates.
The polls are being contested without a compromise in sight between authorities in the Sunni-ruled monarchy and the opposition.
Al-Wefaq, the main opposition group, has dismissed the electoral process as a “farce” and warned that failure by the kingdom’s rulers to loosen their grip on power could trigger a surge in violence.
The opposition’s month-long uprising in early 2011 was crushed by the authorities.
The political rivals have struggled to bury their differences through a so-called “national dialogue” that fell apart despite several rounds of negotiations.
The opposition boycott means voter turnout will be a key marker of the validity of the vote.
Al-Wefaq chief Sheikh Ali Salman has predicted a maximum turnout of 30 percent, saying the boycott stems from “the people’s demand for democratic reforms”.
A second round of voting will be held next Saturday.