A transformation of Bahrain is underway

It might not be a Westminster- type democracy, nor a Capitol Hill style for casting votes, but many well-established and commonly known democratic elements and practices have clearly characterised the two-round parliamentary elections, completed last Thursday in Bahrain.

Despite the boycott of the first parliamentary election in Bahrain since 1973 by the four leading opposition political organisations (societies, to be precise), it does not mean the election process from start to finish, was any less democratic.

To say the elections were not perfect is quite reasonable. But to say they were "meaningless" as some opponents suggested, is taking the argument to an extreme.

The mainstream opposition groups are unhappy that legislative power will be split between the 40-member elected chamber and a consultative council whose membership (also 40) will be determined by His Majesty the King of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

This "unhappiness" was openly and candidly under discussion between the King on the one hand, and representatives of all opposition groups till the last minute before the election, in an attempt to clear the air and remain involved in the election process.

In fact, the King and the young Cambridge-graduated Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, have both publicly confirmed, though reluctantly, the right of the opposition to boycott the election.

The King and the Crown Prince have expressed their respect of the rights of people to take any stand they see fit, and that citizens have the right to participate in the election process or boycott them.

As a frequent visitor to Bahrain and enjoying access to government spokespersons as well as opponent groups and independent individuals, I am confident that both parties will maintain a civilised level of dialogue in the weeks and months to come.

Many opponents believe the ruling family, particularly the King and the Crown Prince, will keep their doors wide open for any future discussions with the opposition.

Both parties know very well that confidence needs more time to be built or enhanced following more than 20 years of oppression, blacklisting and deprivation.

When I visited Bahrain last, just before the municipal election, I noticed how smiles have returned to the faces of the Bahrainis. For the first time I heard them talking about the future in a new era every Bahraini was longing for.

Before this new age of freedom, the prisons were full of hundreds of human rights activists and many more were forced to live in exile. Bahrain's prisons now, according to human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, are free of political prisoners.

All those who were living in exile are now back in the country and they are participating in their own way in the new experiment. Now one of the leading Shi'ite opposition factions has its own licenced newspaper, Al Wasat, edited by a former exile in London.

The country is totally transformed. There is no need anymore to whisper your opinion to a confidant. In the five days I spent in Manama I attended 15 public, politically heated meetings organised by various opposition groups.

This is unprecedented in any Arab environment, let alone any Gulf one. These meetings were usually packed with young men and women and conducted under the glare of Bahrain's media.

In the three years since he took over following the death of his father Sheikh Isa, Sheikh Hamad has transformed the face of Bahrain, and with it, its fortunes.

Yes, many would argue that what happened in Bahrain last week might not have met the requirements of some opposition factions, but these elections have put Bahrain, at least, back on track and on the map among civilised societies where human rights including freedom of speech are upheld.

Equally impressive, the conduct of the opposition groups who have shown a high degree of maturity in expressing their views peacefully and respectfully.

When they called on Bahrainis to boycott the elections, they were keen that it was done without violence. Prior to election day, these groups held a rally, attended by an estimated 60,000 Bahrainis, without any reported incident.

Commenting on the election process, another opponent well known to media circles in London where he was in exile for many years, Dr. Majeed Al Alawi, said that sectarian-driven politics was now a thing of the past.

Now he is an active researcher in Manama, Dr. Al Alawi says: "Bahrainis have proved that they are a civilised people committed to their nation's future and I think the opposition deserve credit for the fact that it all went so peacefully."

Now what does the future hold? Economically and financially, Bahrain established itself many years ago as a solid and reliable centre for business and investment. Now, after the election, the country has the ability and credibility to remarket itself and regain its glorious past as a regional hub for services, investment and an attractive and safe place for tourists.

Politically, it remains to be seen how both the government with its new legislatives in place, and the opposition factions, who remain in the wild, face up to the real challenge in the days ahead – to co-exist through the new experiment and learn from it.

Mustapha Karkouti is the former president, Foreign Press Association in London.