Bahrain holds a parliamentary election Saturday amid a low turnout and boycott calls as the regime forces have continued their arrest campaign against the opposition supporters.
The Bahraini authorities arrested a number of citizens in Sitra and Al-Diraz and deployed troops on the highway and near the vote centers.
The country’s two main opposition groups, the Al-Wefaq and Waad, were barred from fielding candidates by the regime.
Amid a low turnout, the polls opened at 8am local time (0500 GMT) and are set to close at 8pm.
Experts have questioned the value of a parliamentary election in which the opposition is not allowed to participate.
Neil Partrick, a specialist in Gulf Arab politics, said Bahrain’s elections “have lost all practical and political meaning” since the 2010 boycott by Al-Wefaq — the main movement representing the country’s Shiite population.
Source: Al-Manar English Website and AFP
