As the parliamentary elections have concluded in Bahrain, citizens are looking forward to another parliamentary term that meets their aspirations. Faced by a global pandemic and increased taxes, the 2018 parliament was widely criticized for being weak and lacking the ability to move forward on several important issues.
The 2022 parliamentary elections witnessed a 73% participation, the highest recorded participation since the start of parliamentary life in Bahrain in 2002. A total of 8 women won the elections, making this another record-breaking moment for democracy in Bahrain. The 2022 parliament will also witness the return of several MPs from previous parliamentary terms and the absence of majority of the 2018 MPs. Here is a look at what Bahrainis think of the parliamentary election results and their aspiration for the new parliament.
“This parliament resembles the reality of Bahrain”
“This is the first time that the election results seem to be less influenced by third parties. Whether it is the government, political societies, religious leaders etc. The results are a reflection of a true democratic process. This parliament resembles the reality of Bahrain. This is the closest we have gotten to a true resemblance of Bahraini society” Sara 42.
“This is an inclusive parliament, many women, youth, people from different backgrounds and ideologies, even the political opposition has gained an extra seat. It just looks more diverse than the previous parliaments and we hope that the MPs would actually work hard” Ahmed 28.
“Opposition societies have lost support“
“The results show a true loss of the dissolved political opposition, especially following the calls for boycott. There was a higher turnout of candidates and voters in opposition strongholds. New faces have come forward to serve their communities and they have succeeded. Many opposition societies have lost their wider support” Manal 36.
“One of the women MPs is a former member of the dissolved opposition Al Wefaq Islamic Society. This is surprising and also promising. To see that a former member of such a society decided to put her community first and be part of the political process instead of boycotting is something to be commended. I wish her all the best” Abdullah 34.
“A great moment for Bahrain”
“A great moment for Bahrain! In many constituencies people have voted for candidates from the opposite sect. Shia MPs have made it in constituencies with a high Sunni population and vice versa. This is Bahrain” Hassan 28.
“The election results reflect that to a certain extent tribalism, sectarianism and political Islam is defeated in many areas. These are signs of progress and change” Sara 32.
“The results reflect a higher level of political and democratic awareness in the Bahraini society. To keep it simple, millennials have started voting, change is happening “ Fatima 34.
“People are fed up with false promises”
“The failure of Islamist political societies such as Al Asalah is an indicator that people are fed up with false promises and empowering religious men. We are heading towards an era where people want to truly separate religion from politics” Salman 32.
“The most surprising result is the victory of eight women. It is an impressive result. The trust citizens have shown women by voting for them and leading them to victory is amazing. Hope that these women will be a true voice for the people of Bahrain” Mahmood 36.
“It is true that the percentage of participation is high at 73%. However, we want to see results. Being proud of numbers is not enough. Having many women is not enough. Outcomes are the only thing that counts” Amal 42.
“There should be a higher level of transparency”
“Parliament needs to work on increasing its powers. It needs to hold the government accountable. Weakness will not lead us anywhere. There should be a higher level of transparency demanded by the new parliament” Ali 34.
“In the past, only a few MPs were strongly outspoken against government measures. We should see more of this. There is no time to be nice, sweet and diplomatic towards measures that put citizens under pressure” Khalid 38.
“This is yet another parliament with a majority of inexperienced MPs as the majority have no previous parliamentary work record. I hope their lack of parliamentary work experience does not affect the outcomes” Mona 37.
“A new and young cabinet”
“So far four MPs have nominated themselves for parliament’s chairmanship with many others nominating themselves for first and second deputy chair. This is not a good sign. It’s a parliament of 40 members and such divisions and aspirations to lead cause instability inside parliament. The MPs should not let this get in the way of serving the people” Abdulrahman 32.
“It just feels that the this is going to be a proactive parliament. If the new MPs disappoint citizens, then citizens will lose confidence in the democratic process and this will lead to future failure” Zainab 28.
“This is a new era for Bahrain. The country has a new and young cabinet, it has a new Prime Minister and now new parliamentary faces. The parliament and government should work hand in hand to succeed in many areas including the government’s economic recovery plan. This is where both the government and parliament will show their success and lead us to a brighter future” Yousif 38.