Bahraini parliamentary by-election, 2011
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18 lower house seats vacated during the Bahraini uprising |
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| Turnout | 17.4% | ||
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A parliamentary by-election was held in Bahrain on 24 September 2011 following the withdrawal of 18 members of the largest political party in parliament, al Wefaq, in protest at governmental actions during the Bahraini uprising. Security forces closed Pearl Roundabout and attacked protestors in the village of Sanabis. The second round of elections were held on October 1, 2011
The lower house of parliament has the authority to pass legislation proposed by the sovereign or the governing cabinet, as well as monitoring authority. The upper, unelected Consultative Council has the power to block legislation from the lower house. The minority Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty has ruled the majority Shia country since 1783. The Bahraini uprising started in early 2011, with massive protests, occupation of the Pearl Roundabout, arrests and other responses by police, destruction of the Pearl Roundabout, and entry of the Peninsula Shield Force to Bahrain. MPs from Al Wefaq, the largest party in parliament, resigned their seats in protest against the government's responses.
On Friday 23 September, dozens of people were arrested and some were badly beaten.Nabeel Rajab of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights reported that 38 women were detained for a 45-day period.
On the election day, 24 September, hundreds to thousands of protestors gathered in the village of Sanabis with the intention of marching to the Pearl Roundabout, which had been physically occupied by protestors during the Bahraini uprising and whose monument had been destroyed by the authorities in response. Security forces used tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets against the protestors.
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