Bahrain’s parliamentary elections: Seeing the forest through the trees

On Nov. 12, Bahrainis will go to the polls to elect a national parliament for the sixth time since the promulgation of the country’s current constitution in 2001. 

Critics point to the outlawing of opposition political parties and the subsequent boycott of their followers as indicators that Bahrain’s democracy is fatally flawed. In an ideal world, they might have a point. Political parties that work within the established rules and don’t seek to overthrow constitutional order are all well and good. But when those organizations are in thrall to foreign powers and seek to alter the system of government, corrective action may be necessary. 

One can argue that the authorities in Bahrain have overplayed their hand, but democracy is a fragile thing and the actions of a few can have disastrous consequences for the many. Funds from foreign interests were flowing into the coffers of some of Bahrain’s now proscribed parties, and some of their leaders were advocating the use of force to overthrow the government. In a region rife with geopolitical turmoil, such actions present a very real threat. 

Identity-based politics along sectarian lines have a losing track record in the Arab world.  Lebanon and Iraq have become ungovernable. Parliamentary contests there have produced legislatures incapable of taking decisions and governments that owe their loyalty more to outside actors than to the people they are elected to serve. Bahrain’s leaders are trying to walk a fine line: give citizens a meaningful voice in managing the nation’s business without falling prey to divisions that could destroy the democratic experiment. 

Their solution, although falling short for some, arguably achieves the greatest good for the greatest number. In the elections, 561 candidates will contest 40 parliamentary and 30 municipal council seats. The vast majority are running as independents and include 107 women, as well as representatives of all of Bahrain’s ethnic and religious communities. The last time that Bahrain held elections, in 2018, 67 percent of the country went to the polls and the number of women voted into parliament doubled from three to six.

Those serving in the legislature appear to take their duties seriously; they certainly don’t view themselves as rubber stamps. Their actions on bread-and-butter issues such as public housing, taxation, pension reform, subsidies and employment drive the government’s policymaking agenda and exercise a dispositive influence on decision-making. Cabinet ministers recognize the need to consult with parliament and to respect the demands of the people’s representatives. Immediately after signing the Abraham Accords in 2020, Bahrain’s foreign minister left Washington for Manama, where the next day he appeared before parliament to brief members on the importance and benefits of the agreement. None of the other signatories faced such accountability. 

Too often for U.S. policymakers, the perfect becomes the enemy of the good. Many of our government officials and members of Congress would like to see an expanded electoral process in Bahrain, one in which the right to run for office is open to all. While certainly a laudable goal, and one to which Bahrain itself aspires, this will take time. As a well-informed Bahraini businessman once put it to me, “America always wants us to fly the plane faster than it is capable of. We don’t want the wings to fall off and crash.” The centripetal forces of no-holds-barred political competition — as we are seeing in our own country — risk tearing a nation apart.  The dangers to Bahrain are no less real. 

For the moment, while admittedly imperfect, Bahrain’s stewardship of the democratic process nevertheless provides a much needed and publicly validated opportunity for its citizens to participate in the governing of their country. We should neither minimize this achievement nor cease to strive for improvement. In the meantime, however, let’s not fail to see the forest through the trees: Bahrain is navigating a perilous course judiciously and deserves America’s support. 

Adam Ereli was the U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain from 2007-2011. Follow him on Twitter @erelija.