Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the government of Bahrain on political rights in that country.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office actively encourages broad engagement and participation of all political societies and the people of Bahrain in the electoral process, in the spirit of shared responsibility and national reconciliation.

On 24 September, EU Member States’ Ambassadors’ present in Bahrain (UK, Italy, France and Germany) welcomed the announcement by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to hold legislative elections in Bahrain. The first round of parliamentary elections, which took place on 22 November, went smoothly despite some violence and IED attacks. The second round of voting will take place on the 29 November.