Bahrain Mirror: Ali Al-Aswad, the former Bahraini MP for Al-Wefaq opposition society, slammed the government headed by Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa after Bahrain News Agency (BNA) announced that the later had granted 100 tons of deluxe Thai rice to civil societies.

Al-Aswad considered that the government, since being established under the chairmanship of Khalifa bin Salman in 1971, has failed to achieve economic and political successes, which made it grant deluxe Thai rice instead of executing development projects.

Al-Aswad further stated that if each kilogram of rice accounts for 750 fils and the grant consists of 100 tons, 2000 bags of rice, this means that the grant does not exceed 50 thousands BD, commenting on the fact that "the news agency of the longest-serving current Prime Minister in the Gulf published this piece of news."

Al-Aswad also said that abstinent families need no deluxe rice because open-handed people have been generously giving during the holy month in Bahrain and all over the world, where no Muslim remains hungry, adding that "the civil societies are like charity funds. They contribute significantly to meeting the needs of the abstinent families; which is the government's duty that it refrains from doing."

"Bahraini people are not in need of grants, Thai rice in this case. They need a political regime that guarantees them partnership, social justice and dignity," Al-Aswad commented. "The people have legitimate demands; they do not need grants, donations and gifts for media and advertising. People are demanding dignity and freedom," he added.

The former MP further stressed that "the people's demands adopted by political societies which we believe are realistic, as stipulated in the Manama charter, needs a serious dialogue rather than grants and donations."

The Arabic Issue