MANAMA: Bahrain's ruling dynasty and an anti-regime movement are locked in a deepening standoff, and both sides agree there is no turning back as protesters continue to hit the streets in their thousands.
The Shia-led opposition said it wants to join the dialogue proposed by Crown Prince Salman following deadly protests, but only after the government resigns.
An official said on Wednesday the government's patience “has its limits.” “The situation in Bahrain is now irreversible. The regime knows it cannot turn back, and the opposition will certainly not back down,” Ali Fakhro, a political analyst and former education minister, said.
“I think the government is well aware that there is a problem that must be dealt with and that ignoring the demands of protesters... will only give rise to the same problems again.”
A string of popular uprisings against regimes across the Arab world has spilled over into the majority Shia kingdom of Bahrain, a strategic US ally that is just a boat ride from Iran.
Since Feb 14, thousands of mainly Shia protesters have daily taken to the streets of the capital Manama, home of the US Fifth Fleet, to demand the fall of the Sunni al-Khalifa dynasty which has ruled unchallenged for 200 years.
They are also calling for major reforms to end what they say are decades of oppression and rights deprivation.
The tiny archipelago carries special significance as it neighbours Saudi Arabia, which has its own Shia minority concentrated in Eastern Province, close to Bahrain.
The Shia-led coalition of Bahraini opposition groups is adamant in demanding the resignation of the government before the wide-reaching talks offered by Crown Prince Salman.
“Our primary demand is the resignation of the current government and its replacement with a government of national salvation,” said MP Jalil Khalil, head of the Shia Al-Wefaq parliamentary bloc which is spearheading the seven-group opposition alliance.
Such a government should be “formed of technocrats representing both the Sunni and Shia communities,” he said. “The opposition has not refused dialogue,” said Khalil, whose bloc resigned from parliament in protest at the killing of seven demonstrators last month. “It is seeking guarantees before heading to the table, including a deadline and the clear outlining of the steps that will be taken, such as the implementation of the national charter.”
Bahrain's National Action Charter was passed in 2001 following a referendum, as part of a package of reforms introduced by King Hamad, ending a 1990s Shia uprising and restoring the country to constitutional rule.—AFP