Voters in Bahrain cast ballots on Saturday in the island kingdom’s first full parliamentary election since Arab Spring-inspired protests erupted four years ago, but a boycott called by the country’s opposition threatens to overshadow the poll.
A total of 419 candidates were running for municipal and parliamentary seats. The elections will determine the makeup of the lower house of Parliament, which has limited direct powers.
Members of the upper house are appointed by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, whose family controls most senior governm-ent posts, including that of the unelected Prime Minister. — AP