Manama: Days of messy infighting for the leadership of a pan-Arab society in Bahrain have peaked with the two contenders expelling each other from the political bureau in high-profile drama.
The “fratricidal” struggle for the leadership of the opposition Unionist Democratic Assembly (Wahdawy) society came out in the open this month, reportedly over the political stance the formation should take amid accusations that it was veering off its course, and that some of its members were carrying out a “destructive plot.”
Members opposed to the secretary general Fadhel Abbas called for an emergency meeting on Saturday to hold him to account for reportedly making “single-minded decisions without referring to the bureau” and for “antagonising other political societies.”
However, Abbas who was abroad cut short his trip and returned to Bahrain where he held a meeting that froze the membership of his deputy Hassan Marzooq and another political bureau member, accused of leading the plot to oust him.
At a press conference on Saturday to explain his position, Fadhel announced the formation of a reconciliatory committee “to contain the internal standoffs” that would be chaired by his new deputy Mohammad Al Mutawa.
“The committee will liaise between all members of the society to reach an agreement,” he said. “Whatever decision the committee makes will be binding for all,” Fahdel said. He ruled out the holding of an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.
However, on Sunday, several adherents voted to replace Fadhel as the society leader and appointed Marzooq as acting chairman until the next general assembly.
The adherents, who said that they were forced to hold their meeting at a public place after they were denied access to the society premises, appointed five members, including one woman, as political bureau members.
They insisted that their decisions to replace the society leader and central committee members were legitimate and in accordance with the law, adding that the extraordinary meeting was chaired by the deputy chairman in the absence of the chairman who did not attend. They said that they would notify the justice ministry that oversees political societies about the changes.
The adherents attributed their decisions to “addressing the issues undermining the society.”
They charged that the “former chairman had isolated the society, caused rifts with other political formations in the country, confined the contributions of the society human rights watchdog and accused fellow members of treason.”
Last week, Fadhel charged that those who plotted to suspend him had been manipulated to weaken the society and erode its work.
