Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain's Al-Wefaq Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Hussein Al-Daihi renewed the call to boycott the elections, stressing that all Bahrainis agree that the upcoming councils "will only bring more pressure and deprivation."

"If you go to vote, you are saying to the regime, yes, to more taxes and financial burdens. Yes to further injustice, yes to further harassment, and yes to more corruption," he said in a live speech broadcast by a number of television channels.

Al-Daihi mocked what he described as "ridiculous threats and messages of intimidation as well as public and private blackmail," in an indirect comment on government leaks about the denial of government services to boycotters.

"We know and the world knows that there is no real democracy and no real parliament in Bahrain; on the contrary, there is great oppression and repression at the political, security and economic levels," he highlighted, adding that "this will be established through this electoral play and who will result from it, as well as through those who will vote for more deprivation of liberties and bankruptcy, so that the motto of this parliament would be ‘your voice will confiscate your rights and make you go bankrupt and do injustice to you, citizen'".

"We all agree as Bahrainins and without exception that these elections will not offer us anything. These councils will rather only bring us more pressure, deprivation, and restrictions on our livelihoods."

He went on to say that it is clear to all of us that the 2014 Parliament was terrible, with the admission of the official vote. All the readings, analyses and circumstances say that the 2019 Parliament will be the worst. "That's because Bahrain is suffering from a major economic financial crisis added to the pressuring political crisis. This foreshadows that the parliament will be used to harm the homeland and its citizens."

Al-Daihi pointed out that no one thinks or imagines that calling for boycotting is heresy or a new method invented by Bahrainis; it is a democratic right and protest method that is used in developed countries rather than autocratic states; to say no to wrong policies, no to the theft of public funds, no to corruption, no to naturalization , no for land grabs, no for the thefts from the seas and coasts, and no injustice and deprivation, until stability is achieved in the homeland.

"Dear beloved people, our boycott as Bahrainis of this Council is for the future of our country and the future of our children and future generations so that our children will enjoy a homeland that guarantees political, economic and social security," he addressed the people.

He stressed that it is a decision that requires the people's strong will not to go to the polls, noting that he knows this will is present and does not need to be asked of anyone or stressed.

He further stated that the regime is working hard, after being certain that there is a severe boycott by the majority of citizens, on attempting to stir up fanaticism and intimidation, all for pressuring them to vote; and then to be left after that without any care or services, which has been ongoing since 2014.

"We need to build a strong nation based on democratic principles that will establish a true state. The opposition has been a pioneer in presenting projects and visions over the past years for this purpose, the last of which not being the principles and visions presented by Al-Wefaq under what was entitled the Bahrain Declaration."

Concluding his statement, Al-Daihi said: "I send a word of devotion, sincerity and love to every citizen who boycotted this only day; for the sake of reform and saving the years to come."

Arabic Version