Pretense of reform from al Khalifa is regime entrenchment, not stagnation – Bahrain’s Revolutionary Movement thrives as regime maintains reform impasse

cb editor: I respectfully disagree with the notion that democracy comes from a strong middle ground or that reform can be put forth as one sided dialogue. Especially when the one sided dialogue is but more meaningless blather that follows 40+ years of one-sided reforms that have yet to be delivered upon. The current situation in Bahrain is frequently referred to stalemate and the opposition is called uncompromising, when they are refused a chair of equality, at a table where reform agendas are set by the ruling regime. The regime , it seems, is the only party that stands at a cross-roads in Bahrain. It would seem the choice is clear, free the political prisoners, stop the human rights abuse and expedite the reforms the regime promised in 2002. It seems very clear, the regime must reform and move on with a truly democratic government or it will perish through revolution. Phlipn.

Post-BICI Bahrain: between reform and stagnation
Elham Fakhro and Kristian Coates Ulrichsen – 19 January 2012 – Open Democracy

As the first anniversary of the February 14 uprising approaches, the regime and the country at large find themselves at a crossroads in which there is dangerously little space for a strong middle ground.

Nearly two months have elapsed since the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) published a report into the unrest that shook this Persian Gulf archipelago last year. Its 513 pages laid bare the excessive use of force, systematic mistreatment, and culture of non-accountability, as the Bahraini government responded to a popular movement that challenged its grip on power. It also found no evidence of any Iranian involvement in the protests, thereby contradicting regime narratives that ascribed them to external intervention rather than domestic grievances. In response, King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, pledged to initiate reforms, and established a national commission to oversee their implementation. Yet the measures taken to date have left unaddressed many of the roots of Bahrain’s political and economic inequalities, and ongoing clashes between protesters and security forces have if anything, intensified. The result has been the empowerment of radical voices across the political spectrum and the marginalisation of Bahrain’s political middle ground.

This places the regime – and the country at large – at a crossroads as the first anniversary of the February 14 uprising approaches. BICI has neither provided the closure the ruling family hoped for, nor satisfied the expectations of the political and popular opposition. The continuing violence has hardened positions on all sides and reinforced the absence of trust and goodwill necessary to any political settlement. The emergence of radicalised splinter groups means it is no longer possible to speak of a ‘regime-opposition’ dichotomy. Elements of the opposition are growing more violent, while extremist groups calling on the regime to crush the opposition once and for all have intensified in recent weeks. Competing narratives have diverged sharply since BICI, illustrating the chasm that has opened up where the moderate middle used to be. …more