Bahrain: al-Jamri stressed the need for introducing reforms

The prominent opposition figure in Bahrain Sheikh Abdul Ameer al- Jamri has called for citizen's participation in the municipal elections due to be held in this May despite certain reservations.

Sheikh al-Jamri ( 65 year old) told reporters "despite our own reservations we think it is necessary to promote forward the reforms march by any means." He explained that the reservations are related to certain articles in the municipal law and the law on distributing election areas. He added that "Municipal work will give us an idea of the nature of the division imposed by the election law and how official departments will organize it or control the elections and to what extent these arrangements comply with internationally recognized norms of honoring laws."

Worthy mentioning that al-Jamri was accused of being behind the acts of unrest against the government which took place in Bahrain between 1994- 1999 and resulted in killing at least 38 persons. In the mid of February this year, the King of Bahrain called for municipal elections to be held on May 9th and for legislative elections to be held on October 24th. This decision falls in the context of a series of political reforms that include among other things giving women equal political rights in politics and the founding of a constitutional court.