SI | STOP-Imperialism.com

Bahrain is holding general elections amid turbulent political atmosphere. Around 350 candidates will compete for 40 seats. But something is missing in this general election: the number of opposition parties. Opposition parties, which have been dissolved by the regime, have boycotted the vote. Back in 2010, al-Wefaq controlled nearly half of the parliament’s 40 seats. But now the party’s leader Sheikh Ali Salman is in jail and his party no longer exists. Another prominent opposition party, called the National Democratic Action Society, has also been banned on terrorism charges. Bahrain’s religious scholars have also called for the boycott of the elections. They’ve defended the decision, saying the move is in response to Manama’s insistence to suppress public freedom and use violence against its own citizens. They say participating in the elections would be a disservice to the Bahraini people.