BAHRAIN TO BECOME PERSIAN GULF'S FIRST CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

MANAMA (BAHRAIN) 15 Feb. (IPS)        Waving national flag and posters of Amir Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, some 217.000 people of Bahrain went Wednesday to the polls in a historic referendum that would give the Persian Gulf island-State the first constitutional Monarchy equipped with an elected parliament and an independent Judiciary and a free press and political parties.

Eyewitnesses told Iran Press Service that voting stations were "taken by assault" by the voters of both sexes from the early hours of Wednesday as participation was reported to be "overwhelming" in the first day of elections.

Historically belonging to Iran and considered as the country's fourteenth Province , Bahrain was however occupied by Britain until 1971, when Iran agreed to allow Bahrain people to express their will in a United Nations-sponsored referendum between staying with Iran or going for independence.

Iran immediately welcomed the referendum and expressed the hope that "in light of these new developments in Bahrain, the two countries profit from their capacities to develop bilateral cooperation", the official news agency IRNA quoted the Iranian Foreign Ministry's senior spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi.

The two countries recalled their ambassadors in June 1996 following widespread unrest in Bahrain triggered by the Shi'a community demanding equal rights with the minority Sunni Muslims and democratic system.

Bahrain authorities were accusing Iran of seeking to overthrow the ruling family and as a result, imprisoned hundreds of Sh'ia activists.

But relations have improved since the May 1997 election of moderate Iranian President Mohammad Khatami who has pushed for a policy of detente with its Arab neighbours. Tehran and Manama exchanged ambassadors in January 1999.

Considered as the most advanced Sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf, Bahrain however was distanced by neighbouring Sheikhdoms, particularly Kuwait, after the former ruler dissolved in 1975 the nation's first elected parliament following increased opposition from the pro-Iranian majority Shi'ite Muslim community who demanded political and economic reforms.

The referendum was accompanied by the Amir's amnesty and pardon to 16 political prisoners, all Shi'a Muslim activists, marking a new departure in the last two years of political moderation initiated by the present ruler.

Human rights groups as well as other international orgaisations which have criticised Bahrain's record in the past, are now praising the prisoner release and moves towards democracy and have welcomed the referendum as a step towards a more representative government in Bahrain.

Amnesty International says more than 1,100 political prisoners and detainees have now been released following pardons from the emir.

"We will say 'yes' to the charter because we are convinced it will re-establish the constitution, restore democracy and turn a new page", Sheikh Abdel-Amir Al-Jamri, a prominent opposition cleric said in a press interview, giving his backing to the reforms.

Iranian and Arab political analysts said if approved and put into effect, the democratic changes in Bahrain would affect other Sheikhdoms of the oil-rich Persian Gulf region, where the wind for freedom and democracy is blowing.

They pointed to the democratisation efforts undertaken already in neighbouring Qatar, the first Sheikhdom to allow Israel to open a representation office in Doha andthe home of both the region and the Arab world's freest and most outspoken satellite TV station named "AL Jazira", in Kuwait, in the United Arab Emirate, considered as the "Silicon Valley" of the Persian Gulf and in the far end Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, all ruled by new generation of Amirs and Kings, like in Jordan and Morocco. ENDS BAHRAIN REFERENDUM 15201