 | ||
| ||
All 40 seats in the Council of Representatives | ||
 |
|---|
|
|
| Judiciary |
|
| Administrative divisions (governorates) |
 Bahrain portal |
General elections were held in Bahrain in November and December 2018 to elect the 40 members of the Council of Representatives. The first round of voting was on Saturday, 24 November,[1] with a second round in 31 constituencies on Saturday, 1 December.[2] A municipal poll coincided with the parliamentary vote.
The elections were considered to be a sham,[3][4] as they followed a government crackdown on dissent that included prohibiting members of dissolved opposition groups from running.[5] Following the 2011 Bahraini protests, all 18 Al Wefaq members on the Council resigned,[6] and were barred from contesting the subsequent by-elections. Since 2011, authorities have imprisoned hundreds of dissidents, including Al Wefaq leader Sheikh Ali Salman, and stripped many of Bahraini citizenship.[7] Al Wefaq boycotted the 2014 Bahraini general election.
The two main opposition groups, the Shiite Al-Wefaq and secular Waad, were barred from fielding candidates in 2018, prompting renewed calls for a boycott. A court banned Al Wefaq in 2016 for "harbouring terrorism", inciting violence and encouraging demonstrations which threatened to spark sectarian strife.[7] On 17 July 2016, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television and international print media reported that Bahrain's highest court dissolved Al Wefaq and liquidated the group's funds.[8]
- ^ "Bahrain to hold parliamentary elections on Nov. 24 - state news agency". Reuters. 10 September 2018. Archived from the original on September 10, 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ Bahrain announces election results as palace prepares for visit from Saudi crown prince The National, 25 November 2018
- ^ Al-Wadaei, Sayed Ahmed; Abdulla, Husain (22 November 2018). "After Khashoggi's murder, it's time for the world to stop ignoring Bahrain's abuses". The Washington Post.
- ^ What "Elections" in Bahrain Can Teach Us About Politics in the Middle East UN Dispatch, 7 December 2018
- ^ "Bahrain Moves to Ban Opposition Ahead of 2018 Elections". Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain. 30 May 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ Bahraini woman dies 'during protest' Al Jazeera, 16 July 2011
- ^ a b Experts cast doubt on upcoming Bahrain elections
- ^ AP (17 July 2016). "Bahrain court orders Shia opposition group to be dissolved". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 July 2016.