Bahrainis boycott sham elections

People in Bahrain held demonstrations across the country to condemn the regime’s crackdown on dissent and call for a mass boycott of the parliamentary elections.

The demonstrations came as the country held the polls under what rights groups describe as “political repression” by the Al Khalifa regime.

The Bahraini protestors also condemned the normalization of Al-Khalifa regime's relations with Israel and emphasized their adherence to the Palestinian cause.

The people of "Hamala and Sanabis" region also held a protest rally to declare solidarity with "Sheikh Abdul Jalil al-Miqdad," who is imprisoned for the freedom of expression and all political prisoners.

People of various regions of Bahrain, including Manama, have repeatedly held peaceful demonstrations, demanding the release of legal and political activists who have been arrested for no crime and for many years now, they have been living in the prisons of the Al-Khalifa regime with poor human conditions.

Also, the Bahraini human rights group published a statement recently reading that the courts of Bahrain have issued death sentences to four Bahraini activists. The sentences issued were based on unfair trials and confessions under torture.

In the past months, "Sheikh Abdul Jalil al-Miqdad", a 62-year-old Bahraini cleric who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Al Khalifa Court for refusing to sign a statement rejecting treatment in the hospital after he was beaten by the prison guards of "Juw" Central Prison.

The Al-Khalifa regime, which by massively suppresses the opposition, intends to present a democratic and reformist face to the world by holding general elections.

Bahrain's parliamentary elections are held, so that the representatives elected by the government will once again implement the policies of the ruling royal family of Bahrain. Elections, that human rights organizations do not recognize and believe that these elections are predetermined and popular votes have no effect on the results.

The parliamentary elections of Bahrain were held in a situation where there is no political open space in this country and the Al Khalifa family has not shown any flexibility towards the demands of the people to reform the affairs of the country.

All power is in the hands of the current king of Bahrain, while the people of this country have repeatedly demanded to change the constitution of this country in recent years, but since the king himself is the only decision-maker in the country, he has never agreed to this request, because by changing the constitution, which the nation demands, the power of the king and Al-Khalifa will be overtaken in all internal affairs, which is against the will of the king.

However, calls to boycott the parliamentary elections in Bahrain saw a huge rise due to the approach of the Al-Khalifa government and the adoption of the policy of exclusion and political ban.

The opposition groups of the Al-Khalifa regime called on all Bahraini people, from Shia to Sunni and followers of other religions and sects, to defend national interests and fight against corruption, Judaization and attack on national identity by boycotting these elections.

It is worth to mention that since February 14, 2011, Bahrain has been witnessing the conflict between the Al Khalifa regime and the people. The people who initially had civil and reformist demands were suppressed by the Al-Khalifa regime with the support of the Saudi rulers. Also, the political and religious leaders were either sentenced to long-term prison sentences and deprived of citizenship or exiled from Bahrain.