Bahrain opposition party rocked by internal strife

Manama: The crisis afflicting Al Wefaq Society as it strives to control the most serious threat to its unity has been compounded after hundreds of party faithful yesterday called for the resignation of the politburo.

The angry members are blaming the 30 member decision-making committee for unashamedly removing the names of three historic leaders from the list of Al Wefaq's candidates in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

The list of 20 potential contestants was prepared by Al Wefaq leader Shaikh Ali Salman after intense consultations with other prominent figures in the political-religious party. But at the extraordinary session to endorse the names, seven names were dropped in a secret ballot.

Those “eliminated'' include the head of the politburo, Dr Abdul Ali Mohammad, elections committee chairman Jawad Fairuz and parliamentary section head Shaikh Hassan Sultan.

‘Shock result'

The pride of Shaikh Salman, who has been the indisputable leader of the opposition party since its formation five years ago, was also hurt, with only 22 politburo members endorsing his name at the session.

“It was a shock result that has sent unfathomable ripples in a society that has always prided itself on being an institution of membership discipline,'' an Al Wefaq insider told Gulf News.

“The politburo has obviously sent a strong signal that candidates had to be selected on merit and not by other disputable criteria,'' the insider, himself a member of the inner decision-making circle, said.

A meeting initially scheduled for yesterday to assess the situation and call for a second vote of confidence that would reinstate the three unexpected losers was called off, but no reason was given.

Publicly, Al Wefaq said that the vote by the politburo was a consecration of democracy and showed the high level of freedom of expression enjoyed by party members.