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Islamic fundamentalists gain in Bahrain elections

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Tuesday, October 29, 2002

ABU DHABI Ñ Islamic fundamentalists scored major gains in Bahraini parliamentary elections last week.

Arab diplomatic sources said that Islamic candidates won a majority of the 19 seats decided into the first round of elections. Women candidates did not win any seats in the first parliamentary elections in Bahrain since 1975.

Runoff elections for the remaining seats of the 40-member parliament will be held on Thursday, Middle East Newsline reported. Two women will run in the next round of elections.

Mahdi Rabiya, a leading Bahraini analyst, said 10 of the 19 winners were from fundamentalist groups. He identified them as members of Al Asalah and Al Minbar Al Islami, both dominated by Sunni Muslims.

The kingdom did not express concern over the victory by fundamentalists. Bahrain has 400,000 citizens, most of them devout Muslims who attend mosque regularly and contribute heavily to Islamic charities.

"We are all Muslims so I am not afraid of that," Bahraini Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa said.

The only liberal candidate to have won election was former Education Ministry official Ibrahim Al Abdullah. Al Abdullah ran unopposed.

The first round of elections was boycotted by the four leading opposition groups, which charged that parliament was not given sufficient authority. The boycott largely affected Shi'ite Muslims, who comprise a majority of the kingdom.

Justice Minister Abdullah Bin Khalid Al Khalifa said 53.2 percent of eligible voters cast ballots. But diplomats said the turnout probably did not exceed 40 percent.

The United States applauded Bahrainis elections and urged the kingdom to continue with democratic reforms. Manama is the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, commanded by Vice Adm. Timothy Keating, and has been the scene of anti-American demonstrations.

Bahrain also serves as the headquarters of of the U.S. Marine Corps component of Central Command. The marine commander is Lt. Gen. Earl Hailston.

Britain has deployed forces in Bahrain. They included the Royal Air Force's Tri-Star refueling tankers at Bahrain airport.

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