Bahrain to lift ban on opposition party

[News_Editor]

Bahrain to lift ban on opposition party

2011-06-19 03:04:26 GMT+7 (ICT)

MANAMA, BAHRAIN (BNO NEWS) -- The Bahraini government has decided to lift a ban on the country's largest opposition party, the Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry said on Saturday.

The state-run BNA news agency reported that the ministry welcomed the statement issued by the National Democratic Action Society (Wa'ad) in which it announces that it will join the national dialogue due to start on July 1st. The ministry said that it has started the necessary legal procedures to lift the ban.

"We welcome the statement by the society in which it expressed patriotic stances highlighting the significance of ensuring calm and stability, reinforcing national unity and participating by all parties in a national dialogue in July," the justice ministry said, as quoted by Gulf News.

"We stress that the rule of law, the respect of the constitution and the protection of the national unity are the most important objectives and the essential guarantee for stability, security and prosperity of the nation," it added.

Authorities banned Wa'ad and shut down its office on Muharraq island in April. Ebrahim Shareef, the society leader, is among 21 suspects facing criminal charges of plotting to overthrow the regime.

On Friday, Wa'ad released a statement in which it urged King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa to reconsider the case of Shareef and requested the competent authorities to lift the ban. The society also highlighted the importance of national unity and reiterated its support for peaceful political action.

"We did not hesitate to express our objection and our rejection of street action such as blocking roads, rallying in front of public facilities such as the Bahrain Financial Harbour and the Salmaniya Medical Complex. We did not call for rallies either in front of the Riffa and Al Safriya [palaces]," the statement said.

It added: "We did our best to ensure that education would not be stalled and to calm the situation in order to recover our normal daily lives. However, Wa'ad and other societies could not stop the escalation of the situation."

Wa'ad tried to bring together all the leftist groups in Bahrain after being formed in April 2001. It boycotted the 2002 parliamentary elections, but in 2006 and in 2010, it reversed its position and fielded several candidates.

Social unrest began after protesters called for a "Day of Rage" on February 14 to mark the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter, which returned the country to constitutional rule after the 1990s uprisings. Initially, people took to the streets to demand reform and the introduction of a constitutional monarchy, but later they began to call for the removal of the royal Sunni Muslim al-Khalifa family, which has ruled the country for almost 40 years.

In mid-March, Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) troops arrived to Bahrain to help protecting the country following weeks of violent protests.

Bahraini authorities have been persecuting activists and opposition in order to avoid further unrest. So far, at least 21 people have been prosecuted for organizing and participating in protests which are considered a plot against the state.

According to Bahrain, the number of people in detention was listed at 400, but the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said it had received information that the figure may be as high as 1,000, while more than 50 people remain unaccounted for.

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