Qatari media's malicious role to tarnish Arab, Islamic symbols denounced

Manama, Nov. 29 (BNA): Information Minister Ali bin Mohammed Al Romaihi praised the huge success of the recent parliamentary and municipal elections in Bahrain with a participation rate reaching 67%. In an interview, in Manama, with the German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA), he stressed that success of the elections represented a strong evidence on awareness of the Bahraini people and their ability to defeat suspicious calls. He pointed out the attempts of Iran, alongside its arms in the region and agents inside and outside the kingdom, to disrupt the electoral process by calling to boycott it and sending thousands of emails to Bahraini people in the morning of the polling day alleging that their names had been removed from the lists. He described the massive turnout for the elections, despite all attempts to undermine them, as a reflection of high awareness of the Bahraini people. He pointed out that the elections took place under full judicial supervision and the control of the civil society with the participation of 231 observers representing non-government organisations and independent legal institutions. He also noted that the elections were held in the presence of local, regional and international mass media. The Information Minister paid tribute to the Bahraini people who showed high awareness of the importance of elections and participating in them regardless of any sectarian or ideological considerations. On whether the US sanctions against Iran will succeed to restrain its interference in countries' internal affairs, Al Romaihi described the sanctions as a step on the path of promoting international legitimacy to force Iran to refrain from interfering in other countries' internal affairs and stop its blatant encroachment on their sovereignty. He called on the UN Security Council and the United Nations to take decisive measures to continue the step. He also criticised attempts to cast doubt on the Iranian interference in Bahrain despite all evidences substantiating it and its denunciation by GCC, Arab and Islamic organisations. He pointed out success of Bahrain security to bust terror cells related to Iran and lodging official complaints against them with the UN as well as regional and international organisations. The Information Minister affirmed that participation in the political process is guaranteed for all according to the constitutional and legal frameworks, adding that the elected Council of Representatives will always express the will of the voters with all their political, intellectual and doctrinal trends. The council, he added, will continue to exercise its legislative and monitoring role within the framework of separation between branches. Responding to a question on the life imprisonment sentence for Ali Salman, the minister asserted that many judicial verdicts were issued against the convict not because he is a Shiite from the opposition nor were they an attempt to target the opposition or close in on it, as alleged by some politicised mass media. The last verdict, he affirmed, was rather handed down to him on charges of committing hostile acts against Bahrain, undermining national security, inciting sectarianism and exchanging intelligence information with the Qatari government to incite chaos and anarchy. He also underscored the right of the state to impose sovereignty of the law and enforce judicial verdicts related mainly to terror crimes and targeting national security. He pointed out electing Bahrain as member of the UN Human Rights Council, describing it as a reflection of the kingdom's sound legislative, judicial and legal system that respects human rights as well as political and civil freedom regardless of gender, origin, faith and doctrine. Concerning relations with Qatar, Al Romaihi denounced the malicious role of the Qatari mass media to tarnish Arab and Islamic symbols which became clear recently in targeting Saudi Crown Prince HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as well as demonising the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its allies.