2010 Bahraini general election

The main opposition party Haq Movement and several other opposition parties such as the Al-Wafa Islamic Movement, Bahrain Freedom Movement, Khalas Movement and Islamic Action Society called for a boycott of the elections,{{cite web|title=Bahrain: Four opposition groups call for boycotting Bahrain Election |url=http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=18931 |publisher=The Muslim News |accessdate=26 October 2010 |date=23 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322030954/http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=18931 |archive-date=22 March 2012 }} on the grounds that participation would be "tantamount to accepting the unjust sectarian apartheid system."

There were also further arrests and repressions of the Shia majority. Shia political activists and international human rights watchdogs warned of a "drift back to full-blown authoritarianism." However, Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad al-Khalifa claimed the arrests were "not linked to elections." Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Project on Middle East Democracy noted government arrests and repressions ahead of the election.{{cn|date=August 2021}}

The head of the Al Wefaq party, Ali Salman, said the government should be shared with the people, in what was seen as an open challenge to the ruling Al-Khalifa dynasty. "It is unacceptable that power be monopolised by a single family, even one to which we owe respect and consideration. We look forward to the day when any child of the people, be they Sunni or Shia, can become prime minister."[http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=159237&language=en Bahrainis Vote for New Parliament amid Political Tensions] Al-Manar, 23 October 2010 {{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

A total of 292 Bahraini observers from non-governmental organizations monitored the elections, though foreign observers were not allowed.

Allegations were made of problems on election day; Al Wefaq's Sheikh Ali Salman claimed at least 890 voters were not allowed to vote in mostly Shia districts because their names were absent from electoral lists. "This is not the full number. We expect it to be higher." The party tallied up the voters who said there were not allowed to vote, in order to use these numbers to challenge to the official results.[http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/10/2010102475648379231.html Poll success for Bahrain Shia bloc] Al Jazeera, 24 October 2010 The opposition also expressed concern that the authorities used the votes of military personnel in favour of some candidates at the expense of others in an "exploitation of general positions."

More than 318,000 were eligible to vote.[http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/10/2010102371445380323.html Parliament polls close in Bahrain] Al Jazeera, 23 October 2010 Head of the electoral commission and Justice Minister, Sheikh Khaled bin Ali al-Khalifa, gave an estimate of turnout of "at least 67 percent," less than the 72% in 2006 and 53.4% in 2002. 127 candidates stood in the election.{{cn|date=August 2021}}

Al Wefaq won 18 of the 40 seats, one more than the previous election.[http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=159365&language=en Bahrain's Opposition INAA Wins 18 Seats in Parliament] Al-Manar, 24 October 2010 {{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Shia and independent candidates won a majority of seats for the first time.{{cn|date=August 2021}}

{{Election results

|firstround=|secondround=

|party1=Al Wefaq|votes1=|seats1=18|votes1_2=|seats1_2=0|totseats1=18|sc1=+1

|party2=Al Asalah|votes2=|seats2=2|votes2_2=|seats2_2=1|totseats2=3|sc2=–2

|party3=Al-Menber Islamic Society|votes3=|seats3=0|votes3_2=|seats3_2=2|totseats3=2|sc3=–5

|party4=Independents|votes4=|seats4=11|votes4_2=|seats4_2=6|totseats4=17|sc4=+6

|total_sc=0

|electorate=318668|electorate2=171000

|turnout=–|turnout2=–

|source=[http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2371_10.htm IPU]

}}

Shia cleric and MP Sheikh Ali Salman lauded the result and called for a "more positive" stance from the government. "The most important message for the government is that Al Wefaq (INAA) is the largest political association in Bahrain. The people's will must be respected and dealt with positively."{{cite news|last=Mahjoub|first=Taieb|title=Shiites make slender gain in Bahrain election|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jlbfSEbtolAwFHTaDhCTREw27ylQ?docId=CNG.5f120bbe460b15f95ab9522cc596b7bc.4a1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303124705/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jlbfSEbtolAwFHTaDhCTREw27ylQ?docId=CNG.5f120bbe460b15f95ab9522cc596b7bc.4a1|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 March 2014|accessdate=11 November 2010|newspaper=Agence France-Presse|date=24 October 2010}}

A local analyst, Obaidaly al-Obaidaly, said the press campaign that accompanied the arrests resulted in a favourable outcome for Al Wefaq. "The Shiites who were hesitant or intended to boycott the elections voted overwhelmingly in favour of Al Wefaq, the representative of their community. Baqer al-Najar, a sociology professor at the University of Bahrain also said "The way the media handled the security situation which prevailed prior to the elections unexpectedly raised Al Wefaq's shares. Shiites felt that they were targeted so they voted intensely for Al Wefaq despite their restlessness with its performance throughout the past four years."

Following the 2011 Bahraini protests, all 18 Al Wefaq MPs resigned from parliament.[http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/07/201171681543397725.html Bahraini woman dies 'during protest'] Al Jazeera, 16 July 2011

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{{Bahraini elections}}

Category:Elections in Bahrain

Bahrain

General elections

Category:National Assembly (Bahrain)

Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results