Institute of Political Development: Organizes Seminar on Opposition

The Institute of Political Development has organised a seminar on political opposition. Among the participants were political societies and activists from inside and outside Bahrain. Mr. Mohammed Ojar, former Human Rights Minister in Morocco, presented his country’s experience of transition towards democracy, insisting that experiences in this particular field cannot be imitated, for each country needs to create its own experience.

Mr. Ojar affirmed that democratic transition can only be achieved after a long and gradual process and based on internal circumstances, stressing at the same time the importance of working within the framework of constitutional institutions. He added that the political opposition should exert all efforts to build a national consensus, and to support the dynamic of trust between the government and the opposition so that the latter can become a productive force yielding fruitful proposals that can be translated into an achievable format, as well as cooperating with all active parties in the political field among others.

During his evaluation of the Bahraini experience, Ojar said that the country possesses a strong and dynamic will for reform, an open society and vitality among all societies, in spite of the difficulties of the regional situation and the pressure of the internal situation. He stressed that the basics of the democratic experience lie in the ability to organize democratic and transparent elections and that there is no democracy without a peaceful opposition, pointing to the importance of leaving behind the heavy legacy of the past and producing a reconciliation which does not aim to distort or take revenge.