Bahrain: four political societies boycott elections

Four Bahraini political societies on Tuesday decided not to take part in the parliamentary elections due to be held on October 24, urging King Hamad to cancel amendments introduced to the constitution.

The chairman of the democratic national work society, Abdul Rahman al-Nueimi, said that the "societies decided not to take part while overshadowed by the constitutional problem." Two weeks ago, the Islamic national reconciliation society, the democratic national work society, the democratic national coalition , and the Islamic work society ( which is under construction ), sent a message to King Hamad proposing the demands they intend to discuss. Al-Nuemi said that "so far, we did not get any answer." He said that the proposals included defining a time limit of six months during which the elected council will discuss and then approve the constitution of 2002.

The statement of the political societies said that the "new constitution had brought in an appointed council of equal number of the elected council, equally taking part with it in the mission of legislation, and this resulted in violating the authority of the people in legislation and auditing, and resulted in ''emptying' our constitutional system from its most important democratic principles which is sovereignty for people -- the source of all authority."

The king of Bahrain made constitutional amendments at the beginning of this year offering the unelected Shoura council which is composed of 40 members the same rights enjoyed by the elected parliamentary council.