Bahraini Elections A Farce amid Wide Boycott
Local Editor
Voting began Saturday in Bahrain's first elections since the uprising in 2011, with the opposition boycotting the polls in the tiny Gulf monarchy.
Bahrain, a key US ally, remains divided nearly four years after security forces in the kingdom quelled civil protests.
Al-Wefaq, the main opposition group, warned on the eve of the vote that failure by the kingdom's rulers to ease their "monopoly" on power could trigger a surge in violence.
Clashes between young demonstrators and security forces erupted in villages outside the capital Manama ahead of the polls, according to witnesses.
The Gulf state's electorate of almost 350,000 is being called to choose 40 deputies. Most the 266 candidates are supporters of al-Khalifa dynasty in a vote denounced by critics as a "farce".
Polling stations opened at 8:00 am and are due to close at 8:00 p.m. Municipal elections are being held at the same time.
On the eve of elections, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of the village of Diraz in support of the boycott, with police firing tear gas to disperse them.
"Boycott! Boycott!" they chanted.
Al-Wefaq withdraw its 18 lawmakers after a violent crackdown on demonstrators by security forces.
Al-Wefaq chief Sheikh Ali Salman said the lack of political accord could lead to an "explosion" of unrest in Bahrain, home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet.
The boycott stems from "the people's demand for democratic reforms," Salman said, predicting a maximum 30 percent turnout.
He said the opposition could only resume talks if the government agreed to implement reforms in line with a strict timetable.
The opposition wants a "real" constitutional monarchy with an elected prime minister independent from the al-Khalifa royal family.
Salman said he did not expect the opposition to reach an agreement with the government, following protests he said had cost "at least 100 martyrs" over the past three years.
Authorities ignored pleas by human rights groups last year to release political prisoners, instead increasing the punishment for violent crimes.
Attacks that cause death or injuries can now be met with capital punishment or life imprisonment.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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