Manama: Bahrain's Islamic Menbar, the society that has enjoyed immense parliamentary clout since 2002, has launched a damage-control operation going into the second round of the parliamentary elections on October 30 after being soundly rebuffed in the first stage.
The society, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, had been the third largest parliamentary bloc in the outgoing house with seven lawmakers in the 40-seat legislature. Going into the elections, it had been so confident of victory that it did not even renew its 2006 alliance with Al Asala, the Salafi formation that had eight lawmakers in the House.
The October 23 vote saw Al Menbar returning its most dismal performance as it failed to win even a single seat. Its three candidates lost in constituencies that have long been regarded as its bastions.
Five of the party's candidates including its chairman will now have to overcome stiff competition in the run-offs on October 30.
"They had obviously fallen into dangerous self-complacency," Ahmad Salman, a public relations specialist with close ties to the Islamic Menbar, said. "They regretfully took everything for granted and thought that their names were enough to get them through the elections. They were absolutely wrong and should have learned not to tempt fate," said Salman, a resident of Muharraq where the society has its headquarters.
However, a humbled Islamic Menbar on Monday put out advertisements in local papers urging people to give its ten remaining candidates — five contesting parliament seats and five in the fray for municipal councils — another chance.
"They should have seen it coming after they failed to strike a deal with Al Asala, like they did before," said Adel Marzouq, an analyst.
Residents in the bustling areas of Hoora and Qudhaibiya in Manama in 2002 supported the Islamic Menbar candidate but switched to his opponent, Adel Al Asoomi, in 2006. This time too, they overwhelmingly backed Al Asoomi.
