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Amid Turmoil, Bahrainis Vote for Parliament Saturday

   VOA News 22 October 2010
   An  unidentified  Bahraini  plants  a  campaign  sign, 21 Oct 2010, in
   Manama,  Bahrain,  for  parliament  candidate Adel al-Assoumi ahead of
   Saturday's elections

Photo: AP

   An  unidentified  Bahraini  plants  a  campaign  sign, 21 Oct 2010, in
   Manama,  Bahrain,  for  parliament  candidate Adel al-Assoumi ahead of
   Saturday's elections

   Bahrainis  head  to the polls on Saturday for a parliamentary election
   amid  a  crackdown  by  the  Sunni  Muslim-led  government against the
   Shi'ite majority.
   This  is  the  third election for the Persian Gulf island nation under
   its   eight-year-old   constitution.   All  seats  in  the  40-member
   parliament are at stake.
   But  the  voting comes at a time when the Sunni-led government of King
   Hamad  bin Isa al-Khalifa has conducted a wave of arrests of political
   activists from the Shi'ite majority.

          [Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director for Human Rights Watch,
                           comments on human rights situation in Bahrain:
                                                                        ]

   At  least  250  Shi'ite  activists  have been detained in the last two
   months,   and  23  Shi'ites  accused  of  plotting  to  overthrow  the
   government are scheduled to go on trial next week.
   Despite  the  turmoil, a government election official says that 300 or
   more observers will monitor the elections to make sure they are fair.
   The  United  States  has a key interest in the election.  Pro-Western
   Bahrain  hosts  the  U.S.  Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the Persian
   Gulf  at  a  time when Western concern over Iran's nuclear development
   program  has  risen  sharply.   Iran  says  its  nuclear  program  is
   peaceful.
   The  U.S.  State  Department  has taken a measured approach toward the
   unrest in Bahrain.
   A State Department official said after a visit earlier this month that
   she had discussed human rights issues with Bahraini leaders.  But she
   said the U.S. does not intend to "impose our views on others."

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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