MANAMA, Dec 3: Sunnis made gains in the second round of Bahrain's legislative polls as the Shia opposition boosted earlier wins, giving the Gulf state an Islamist-dominated parliament.
Saturday's second round ended with Islamists controlling 30 of parliament's 40 seats in Bahrain whose government is a close US ally and hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet.
But while Sunnis are supporters of the government, the main political formation of the Shia majority in Sunni-ruled Bahrain made a spectacular entry into parliament on an opposition platform.
The Islamic National Accord Association (INAA) headed by charismatic Shia cleric Sheikh Ali Salman grabbed 16 seats in the first round of the elections on Nov 25, 2006.
On Saturday, the INAA won the 17th seat it had been certain to take in a constituency where two of its members faced off as independents, according to results announced on state television early on Sunday.
The Sunni National Islamic Tribune Association, which represents the Muslim Brotherhood, clinched three mandates in the second round to regain the share of seven seats it held in the outgoing parliament.—AFP
