Senior Bahraini cleric Sheikh Issa Qasim says the Al Khalifa regime of using the ongoing reconciliation talks to delay democratic reforms, stressing that the talks are not meaningful. “This dialogue process is twisted and the way it is conducted indicates that there is no meaningful substance,” he said. “The aim is to delay reforms and democracy.”
The cleric said the talks do not take into account the urgency of the people's demand for change.
He delivered a sermon on Friday in the opposition stronghold of Diraz, northwest of the capital city of Manama.
“The people sacrifice so much for reform, and they (the rulers) talk about the need for gradual change,” Sheikh Qasim was quoted as saying by AP.
“They want to give reform in small doses while inflicting massive injustice,” he added.
Bahrain's main opposition group al-Wefaq is currently in talks with Bahraini authorities as part of the so-called “national dialogue.”
The opposition group agreed to participate in talks with the government after Bahraini King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa said he would set up an independent inquiry into the violent crackdown on protesters.
The opposition bloc is not satisfied with the process, saying participants in the dialogue do not fairly represent society and those participating are not being given a chance to speak during the sessions.
No comments:
Post a Comment