Bahrain's candidates hone their speeches

Hours before the end of the election campaign, candidates are honing their speeches and political societies are taking aggressive tactics

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Manama: Hours before the end of the election campaign, candidates are honing their speeches and political societies are taking aggressive tactics to promote their pledges of a better future for the country if they win tomorrow.

Al Wefaq, fighting to fix a recently battered image, on Wednesday evening listed its accomplishments in the 2006-2010 parliament and promised to do more.

Addressing a rally in Manama, Ali Salman, the head of Bahrain's largest society, urged voters in a passionate plea to elect the 18 candidates Al Wefaq fielded this year.

More achievements will follow if Al Wefaq candidates are voted in when Bahrain elects its new-look lower chamber tomorrow, he said.

Observers said that the last minute scramble on Wednesday meant to encourage hesitant supporters to cast their ballots and not be influenced by small splinter groups calling for the boycott of the polls or by promises from non Al Wefaq candidates.

Ali Salman who headed the parliamentary bloc in the 2006-2010 term is not running this time, publicly stating that he wanted to give a chance to other people, but expressed confidence that his society would carry the seats of the 18 constituencies where it has candidates.

Al Wefaq is already assured one seat after Abdul Jalil Khalil got his Manama seat for a second term alongside four other candidates, three independents and one from Salafi Al Asala, who will not be challenged.

In its second try to win its first parliamentary seat, National Democratic Action Society "Wa'ad", Bahrain's largest liberal society, used its rally in Muharraq, Bahrain's second largest city, to promote its stated plans to help needy families and ensure financial exemptions for them."

Ebrahim Sharif and Sami Al Seyadi, both running in Muharraq, said that more efforts should be deployed to ensure homes for Bahrainis.

Do you anticipate this election to bring change to Bahrain or more of the same? Do liberals have a chance? Tell us at readers@gulfnews.com

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