Human rights commissioner meets with Bahraini officials

The UN human rights Commissioner Mary Robinson has met with the Bahrain's crown prince Sheikh Salman Bin Hamad al-Khaleifa.

The Bahraini news agency quoted Robinson as saying that the steps taken by Bahrain recently are greatly appreciated by the UN especially these steps comply with the criterion and laws pursued by the UN to preserve and protect human rights.

The agency said that Robinson which arrived in Bahrain on March 2nd also met with the Bahraini prime minister Sheikh Khaleifa Bin Salman al-Khaleifa on the situation of human rights in this state which has witnessed acts of protests against the governments lasted for four years and ended in 1998.

The King of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad Bin Issa al-Khaleifa who came to power in 1999 has taken unprecedented steps including releasing political detainees and permitting the return back of political activists from outside the country.

On the other hand a Bahraini official said that number of Bahraini citizens who are eligible to voting and to taking part in the municipal elections is 237, 503 both males and females, according to the lists prepared already by the municipal elections committee. The executive director of the municipal council elections Sheikh Ahmad Bin Ateyah Allah al-Khaleifa said that the municipal elections committee will issue lists including the names of voters numbering 237503. In statements issued in the Bahraini dailies, Sheikh Ahmad added that those voters" males and females are eligible to voting and taking part in the municipal elections" which are supposed to be carried out on May 9th and for the first time since 1957.

The King of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad Bin Issa al-Khaleifa announced in February these elections, stressing that he will " permit women to be candidates in these elections." The population of Bahrain which was divided to five municipal divisions, tolled 650,000, with 37 % of them are foreigners.