Demonstration in Bahrain for amending the constitution
Bahrain, Politics, 3/26/2005

The Bahraini Islamic national reconciliation society has run a demonstration in Setra area demanding the amendment of the constitution, despite the government's rejection on Thursday to such a demonstration.

The demonstration came following the failure of talks carried out between the government and the opposition over introduction of constitutional changes to give the parliament more authorities. For its part the government introduced certain reforms which were rejected by the opposition.

The demonstration which started on Friday at noon was attended by 10,000 demonstrators according to estimates of its organizers, while it was estimated by independent circles of having 6,000. The demonstrators who walked for 2 kilometers carried the Bahraini flags and demanded constitutional changes.

The demonstrators were led by the chairman of the Shiite reconciliation society Sheikh Ali Salman and members of the general secretariat of the constitutional conference which represents four political organizations demanding the introduction of constitutional changes.

Sheikh Ali said that the demonstration stemmed from the right to expression in a peaceful means. He added that government has expressed fears that regional conditions are inappropriate for such demonstrations in remarks to what had happened in Qatar and Saudi Arabia of explosions.

He stressed that everyone is careful to maintain the security of the kingdom and protection of the economy and trade movement. Deputy Premier and Islamic affairs minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khaled al-Khalifa met on late Thursday evening with Salman and Sheikh Issa Qasem, one of the prominent Shiite figures after the ministry of the interior announced objection of launching the demonstration.

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