Dialogue is the word most frequently uttered in the search for a way out of the political crisis in Bahrain, with the second most frequently uttered word being Consensus. Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad told me that the King has asked him to sponsor the dialogue, and that he wants to be an arbiter among all segments of the Bahraini people. Dialogue will begin this week, with whoever attends. The Crown Prince said to me in a private meeting in his office that the atmosphere is charged, but that dialogue around the table is better than dialogue in the street or at a traffic roundabout. Prince Salman said that reforms related to improving the living standards of the citizens can begin immediately. He also reminded me that reforms have been started a long time ago, and said that there is a persistent need to develop the executive and legislative institutions of the state on the basis of consensus, where no faction would impose its views on the other. The Crown Prince promised to comply with all reasonable demands and to implement steps towards fostering security and stability, always on the basis of consensus. He now awaits each faction to present its demands at the dialogue table and can see that the majority wants to live in dignity and enjoy political participation and jobs, all on the basis of full equality. I said to the Crown Prince that I feel that the opposition rode the wave of protests to escalate its demands, and he said that the majority of the people of Bahrain are asking for alleviation and constructiveness. The Crown Prince has indeed enacted measures that achieved a relative calm. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that there is a faction that has a subversive agenda, and the problem is that the more protracted the crisis, the bigger the opportunity for those who do not want the crisis of the people of Bahrain to end to “sabotage the work that we are doing”. Several hours after my meeting with Prince Salman, I found out that he traveled to Kuwait and then to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar to discuss the situation with other Gulf leaders. They all declared their full support for the steps taken by the government of Bahrain. I also telephoned Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Foreign Minister of the UAE, and he confirmed to me what I already knew, i.e. that his country fully supports Bahrain, and rejects any foreign interference in its internal affairs. The next day, I sat down with Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak, Deputy Prime Minister, in his office, to examine the situation. He reminded me that the process of political reform in Bahrain started nearly a decade ago or so, and that it has achieved tangible results. He also said that the recent parliamentary elections were free and fair, according to all observers. I then heard from the Sheikh the same talk that there can be no way out of the crisis except through dialogue and consensus. There is no argument here that there indeed are legitimate demands that must be met by the government, nor is there any argument that the majority of the population wants a quick and fair solution to the crisis. I add here that there no denying that Bahrain is facing tensions along sectarian lines, and a deep and wide divide between Shiites and Sunnites. This divide was evident from the difficulty in reconciling the demands of both sides, if not the impossibility of doing so. For example, the seven political opposition groups (Al-Wefaq, the Democratic Progressive Tribune, the National Democratic Action Society, the Nationalist Democratic Rally Society, Al-Ekha National Society, the Islamic Action Party, and the National Democratic Assemblage) are demanding the following: - A new constitution forged by a constituent assembly elected to establish a constitutional monarchy and an elected Government, in order to achieve equitable representation of all segments of society. - Dismissal of the government and the formation of a transitional government - Freeing political prisoners and the abolition of their trials. - Investigating the deaths of seven people since February 14. The translation of the above is that the opposition is seeking a political coup that is impossible to be voluntarily accepted by the Bahraini government. Added to the Arab and international support it has, this government also enjoys a wide and stable popular base. As I bade farewell to Bahrain, there was a massive rally called for by the National Unity Gathering, led by Sheikh Abdul Latif al-Mahmoud, attracting 350 thousand protesters as I read, or half a million according to another estimate. Those protesting rejected the dismissal of the current government as a precondition for dialogue, and rejected “the confiscation of other people's freedoms in a process of blackmail and provocation that must stop”. In other words, the Crown Prince wants a dialogue without conditions, while both the loyalists and the opposition are saying the same. However, the former then demands that the government be dismissed first while the latter demands that the government not be dismissed before starting dialogue. I visited Pearl roundabout at night and heard speakers there talking about ‘national unity, neither Sunnite nor Shiite”, before hearing young men shouting, demanding the ouster of the regime. In my opinion, the best proof of sectarian divisions is the insistence on denying that there are sectarian divisions. I shall continue with this subject tomorrow. [email protected]
