DUBAI, May 3: King Hamad ratified amendments to Bahrain’s constitution on Thursday aimed at defusing unrest in the strategic Gulf state, but the opposition dismissed the extra powers given to parliament as not enough.

“The process of reform that marked the beginning of my tenure in power will not stop,” said the monarch, who ascended to the throne in 1999.

“We hope in this important period that all forces and groups will assess their actions and join the process of progress and reforms,” he said.

“Doors remain open to dialogue, which is aimed at achieving a national accord,” he added, alluding to the opposition which spearheaded month-long pro-democracy protests that were crushed with deadly force in March last year.

According to the amendments, the king now has to consult the heads of the elected parliament and the appointed consultative council before dissolving the legislature.

The elected chamber alone now has the right to vote to withhold its cooperation from the prime minister and refer its decision to the king, who then has the final choice on whether to dismiss the premier or keep him in post.

But the amendments fall far short of the demands of the opposition, which has been pushing for an elected government and the scrapping of the appointed upper house.

“The king remains the one to appoint and dismiss the government,” said Abdul Jalil Khalil, a leading member of the main Shia opposition group, Al Wefaq.—AFP