18th November 2014

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

Seven Things to
Watch For in
Bahrain's Upcoming
Elections
On Saturday, U.S. ally
Bahrain will have its first
parliamentary elections
since the 2011 mass
demonstrations calling for
democratic reform. The
troubled kingdom has been
rocked by nearly four years
of political unrest since
these demonstrations were
violently suppressed by the
government. Up for a vote
are candidates for the 40
seats in the lower house of
parliament, while the 40
seats in the upper house
remain appointed by the
king.

While the regime has

promised the elections will
be "free and fair,"
supporters of human rights
and democracy should pay
close attention to these
seven things as the results
of the election come in:
1. Voter Turnout
In the last parliamentary
elections, held in 2010, the
Bahraini government
claimed that voter turnout
was more than 67 percent.
The country's main
opposition groups are
planning to boycott the polls
on Saturday, citing a lack of
general political reform and
an unfair electoral process.
Read More

family members, who call

fordemocratic reforms.

Fear and Loathing in

Bahrain: Tensions
High Ahead of Vote
(GRAPHIC CONTENT)
A fresh wave of activists
arrests, a ban on the major
opposition party and the
death of a prison inmate
drown the tiny, but wealthy,
Gulf Kingdom of Bahrain in
civil dispute days before the
November 22 parliamentary
elections.
Bahraini police has
reportedly increased the
number ofhouse-checks
and arrests oflocal
activists, aswell astheir

Fear and Loathing in

Bahrain: Tensions
High Ahead of Vote
(GRAPHIC CONTENT)

Unfounded arrests are

nothing new tothe countrys
mostly Shia opposition
activists. Their conflict
withthe royal Khalifa family
spreads beyondpolitics,
asthe family is Sunni
Muslim a branch ofIslam
which is a religious minority
inthe island state.
For years this country has
been dealing withdaily
protests, despiteofficial
bans onsit-ins or
gatherings; moreover, the
legislation deems many
acts ofpeaceful protest
asterrorism.
Read More
based former Bahraini
lawmaker Jalal Fairooz
revealed that female
Bahraini protesters were
facing brutal torture at the
local detention centres.

A well-known political
activist and a former
lawmaker has alleged that
the brutal regime of alKhalifa has 'tortured, raped
and sexually assaulted'
imprisoned female activists.

Fairooz noted that the

punishment being meted
out to 'silence' the women
was criminal in nature as
many of them have been
"raped and sexually
assaulted" by Bahraini
regime forces.

In an exclusive interview
with Press TV,London-

Read More