Bahrain election: the runners and refusers

Bahrain will on Saturday hold its first parliamentary elections since Arab Spring-inspired protests erupted against the Sunni monarchy nearly four years ago. Many movements say they are heeding calls by Shia opposition leaders for a boycott.

Voters will choose 40 members of the lower house of the national assembly. The party with the biggest single presence in the 2010 poll, the Shia al-Wefaq society, is boycotting this year's election. The upper house of the national assembly is appointed by the ruling monarchy, and can overrule the lower, elected, house.

Al-Araby al-Jadeed examines the political movements, known as "societies" in Bahrain, their affiliations, ideologies and stances on the election.

Participating

Al-Asalah (Salafi)
Secretary general: Ghanim al-Bouanain
Seats in 2006 / 2010 parliaments: eight / three
Candidates this year: four
The political wing of the Islamic Education Society. Aligned with Islamic Mibar, and allied with the monarchy.

Al-Minbar Islamic Society (Sunni)
Secretary general: Abdullatif al-Shaikh
Seats in 2006 / 2010 parliaments: seven / two
Candidates this year: three
Described as the "local branch" of the Muslim Brotherhood. Works hard for the establishment of a personal status law based on Sharia.

Al-Hiwar al-Watani (Represents southern tribes)
Secretary general: Hamad Rashid al-Nouaimi
Candidates this year: one
Describes itself as the representative of tribal groups that support the limited social reforms proposed by the king.

Al-Rabitah al-Islamiya (Shia, conservative Islamist)
Secretary general: Shafeeq Khalaf
Seats in 2006 / 2010 parliaments: none
Candidates this year: two
Aligned with the monarchy. Won five seats in the 2002 elections but did not win any in 2006 or 2010.

Al-Saf (Sunni, conservative Islamist)
Candidates this year: one
Fiercely opposed the Youth Parliament movement and rejected any discussion of alleged torture in Bahrain. Its candidate is a former ranking officer in the kingdom's intelligence services.

Nationalist Democratic Assembly (Baathist)
Secretary general: Hassan al-A'ali
Candidates this year: three
Boycotted elections in 2002 but participating this year despite calls for boycott.

Actively boycotting

Al-Wefaq (Shia)
General secretary: Shaikh Ali Salman
Seats in 2006 / 2010 parliaments: 17 / 18
Al-Wefaq often works with other opposition groups such as Waad, the Minbar Progressive Democratic Society and Amal.

Haaq
Unregistered
Secretary general: Hassan Musheimee

Not participating

Waad (Socialist)
Secretary general: Ibrahim Sharif
Seats in 2006 / 2010 parliaments: none.
An extension of the leftist movement the Popular Front in Bahrain. Participated in 2006 election with six members but failed to win any seats.

Al-Minbar Progressive Democratic Society (left-wing)
Secretary general: Hassan Madan
An extension of the Bahrain National Liberation Front, the former Communist party of Bahrain. Participated in 2002 elections despite objections to the constitution.

Al-Ekhaa' al-Wattani (promotes cultural diversity)
Secretary general: Moussa Ghaloum al-Ansari
Consists mainly of members of Persian origin, and concentrated in the Mahraqa area. Participated in the last two elections. Aligns itself with oppositional groups and societies.

The Free National Intellect (liberal)
Secretary general: Laila Rajab
Seats in 2006 / 2010: none
Liberal movement aligned with the monarchy. Pro-women's rights. Failed to gain any seats in parliament but has members in the Shura Council, which is appointed by the monarchy.

The National Covenant Society (liberal)
Secretary general: Adel Shaaban Deiri
Composed of businessmen and technocrats and aligned with the monarchy. Had more than 15 members appointed to the Shura Council in 2002 and 2006.

Adala (secular-nationalist)
Secretary general: Abdullah Hashem
Consists of leftists and liberals, especially active in the Mahrak area. Specialises in cases concerned with land rights in the Sahil zone and defending suspects in "terrorism" cases.

Also active in Bahrain are al-Mustaqbal society, which describes itself as the only secular group in parliament, al-Wihda al-Wattaniya, which supports a female candidate and describes the monarchy as the legitimate rulers of Bahrain. Amal, the Islamic Action Society, is an extension of the Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain. It Boycotted the 2002 elections but participated in 2006, in which three candidates ran as independents.