Manama: The Central Governorate Municipal Council on Monday dismissed the four members representing Al Wefaq, Bahrain's largest society, for allegedly asking the United Nations to interfere in Bahrain's domestic affairs.

In a brief statement attributed to a Council member who did not wish to be identified, Deputy President Adel Al Sitri and members Husain Al Uraibi, Abdul Ridha Zuhair and Sadiq Rabi'a were dropped by the council "after their participation in the anti-government rallies" and for "misleading the international community by including erroneous information and fallacies in a letter to the United Nations."

"The four members reportedly said that the government was unjust and requested the United Nations to intervene to put an end to the massacres in Bahrain and to help restore electricity and communication networks that had been cut off," the source said.

"This attitude by the councillors violates the oath they took to be loyal to the nation and the king."

Al Wefaq in February pulled out of the lower chamber of the bicameral parliament to protest against the way the government handled the security situation just after the start of the demonstrations.

However, it kept its members in the municipal councils who were elected in October 2010 for a four-year term.

Al Wefaq has had a strong presence in the municipal councils since 2002 when the first elections were held as part of the reform process launched by King Hamad upon assuming power.

However, the society in 2002 boycotted the parliamentary elections to ask for more reforms. It reversed its stance in 2006 and won 17 seats.

Meanwhile, three players from Bahrain's national football team have been detained and six clubs have withdrawn from domestic leagues following widespread anti-government protests, the Bahrain Football Association (FA) said Monday.

Shaikh Ali Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the vice-president of the Bahrain FA, acknowledged the three players have been detained, but could provide no further information.

He said the clubs — two in the top division and four in the second — have withdrawn from the league which resumed two weeks ago due to "pressure from Shiite political groups".

 

- With inputs from AP