Bahraini.TV

The National Democratic Action Society, which boycotted parliamentary elections in 2002, looks set to take part this year.Members voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking part, during a referendum which ran into the early hours of yesterday, at the society’s premises in Umm Al Hassam.

But the vote is non-binding and does not automatically mean the society will run in the elections, society secretary-general Ibrahim Shareef told the GDN yesterday.

“We are expected to hold our general assembly meeting on June 9 to decide whether we want to enter the elections or not,” he said.

“This was just to check on the pulse of members and any decision taken in this referendum is non-binding.

Out of 227 members present, 133 voted to enter the elections, 86 wanted to continue with the boycott and one was disqualified.

“We are pleased that 58.8pc have decided to change, because the boycott ranks have begun to disintegrate, said Mr Shareef.

He said he was against boycotting parliamentary elections four years ago, but the vote of the majority made the society’s decision.

“Today, former president Abdulrahman Al Nuaimi and I are amongst the majority and we will be doing our best to push for it,” he said.

Mr Shareef said parliament was effectively powerless, but would give a voice to the movement.

“We have been denied the chance to express our opinions in the Press and other mediums, but with the power parliament will give us, I believe we will be able to get our opposition views across to the public and the world from inside parliament,” he said.

“The National Assembly is weak, but it is the only possible way to represent people.”

Mr Shareef said that constitutional changes were still their biggest demand, but were difficult from the parliamentary floor.

“We need two-thirds of MPs and two-thirds of the Shura Council to make these changes,” he said.

“It is possible in parliament, but not in the other appointed council.”

Mr Shareef said that they were not entering a legislative power, because it is powerless.

“We are entering to try something different, because the boycott has not fulfilled aspirations,” he said.

Mr Shareef criticised the Financial Audit Bureau, saying that it was highlighting irregularities only where the government wanted it to look, while looking away from others.

“I believe it is doing a good job uncovering irregularities in places the government wants us to look and is hiding information in other places the government wants us to have closed eyes to,” he said.

Mr Shareef said that MPs had tripped themselves up by failing to amend article 92 in parliament’s by-laws.

“Parliament is obliged to discuss the government’s proposals immediately, while the government had up to two years to discuss theirs,” he said.

“They complain every day their projects are being hindered, while they are not doing anything to make that amendment.”

Meanwhile, Fouad Seyadi, backing the boycott, said that entering parliament was a waste of time.

“Nothing has changed and I believe that the society should continue its boycott,” he said.

“The government has succeeded in causing division amongst the ranks of the opposition and our participation is submission to the government that we have lost.

“We are not losers and hopefully the society members will think more carefully about their decision to join.”
GDN :: Mohammed Al-A’ali :: 28 Apr ’06