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| Arabia |
| Bahrain opposition fails to consolidate gains |
| 2010-11-01 |
| [Arab News] Al-Asalah and Al-Menbar, the two political groups that received severe battering in the first round of Bahrain's third parliamentary elections last week, salvaged some of their pride by winning key constituencies in the second round on Saturday. The runoffs were necessitated in nine of the country's 40 parliamentary constituencies where none of the contestants could garner more than the mandatory 50 percent of the vote in the first round. Justice Minister and Chief Election Commissioner Khaled bin Ali Al-Khalifa announced the final results on Sunday. Among the prominent second-round winners were: Al-Asalah chief Ghanim Al-Buaneen; Al-Menbar's Ali Ahmed Abdulla Ali and Mohammed Al-Ammadi; and Al-Asalah-supported independent candidates Isa Ali Al-Qadhi and Ali Al-Zayed. The two most important losers were Muneera Fakhro and Ibrahim Shareef. Both candidates have been fierce government critics belonging to the liberal Al-Waad group. Al-Wefaq, with 18 seats, remains the single-largest bloc in the new lower house of Parliament. The 12 business-friendly, pro-government independents will have greater say in the new house than the traditional political groups that dominated the 2006-elected House of Representatives. The defeat of Fakhro and Shareef was particularly stinging for the Al-Wefaq-led opposition camp. It had hoped to give a tough time to the government by having a combined strength of 20 seats in the 40-member house. Mahmoud Abdulla Al-Mahmoud, the business-friendly independent who won in the second round from Al-Muharraq Governorate's Constituency No. 4, said the focus of all independents would now be on forming strategic alliances to boost the national economy. "We will partner with other independents and come up with a blueprint for Bahrain's economic success. Our voters have reposed their trust in us and we will ensure they are not betrayed," Al-Mahmoud said after his victory was announced. "I feel sad," said Fahkro supporter Muneera Ahmad. "We were hoping she would win this time; she lost last time also. Fakhro energized the youth. She taught us the meaning of freedom and courage. Her loss has dashed our hopes." Al-Qadhi's supporters, on the other hand, were in a jubilant mood. "If the victory had come in the first round it would not have been this sweet," said Abdul Hadi Abdul Latif, a telecommunications engineer. "Now we can sleep well and eat well ... This was the toughest battle, and we were on tenterhooks till the last ballot was counted. Now is the time to party." Some of the Al-Qadhi supporters went berserk at some places and riot police had to be called in to control them. Despite her defeat, the soft-spoken Fakhro -- a 69-year-old political veteran -- was in a defiant mood. "I am not upset," she told Arab News. "I have gotten used to such defeats. It doesn't affect me, or my program. I am a liberal-democrat, and I will continue fighting for what I believe in. If I had won I would have continued my struggle inside the Parliament, now I will do it from the outside. This is a long struggle for better and dignified life." |
| Posted by:Fred |