'Bahrain govt. must resign Thursday'

Bahraini protesters in Pearl Square in Manama (file Photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/166795.html

Bahrainis will go on a nationwide strike and hold more massive demonstrations if the government does not resign on Thursday, an opposition figure says.

“We have set Thursday as deadline for the government to resign and if it fails to resign on that day, we would expand the protest. If they ignore the call of the people, we will have to take further actions, including a nationwide strike to begin next week,” RIA Novosti quoted a Bahraini opposition activist as saying on Thursday.

This is while, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has agreed to withdraw troops from the streets of Manama and pardon political prisoners.

However, the king has refused to dismiss the government and amend the constitution, which are the opposition's main demands. The demands are also the preconditions for any future talks between the opposition and the rulers.

On Wednesday, more than 100 political prisoners were released; a move that is viewed as Bahraini monarch's latest bid to start talks to end a standoff with the opposition.

Meanwhile, the Bahraini king went to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss the situation in his country with King Abdullah, who has just come back from the US after undergoing medical treatment.

On the other hand, exiled leader of the opposition Haq Movement Hassan Mashaima, who had been scheduled to arrive from the United Kingdom to join Tuesday's demonstrations, has not returned home.

Mashaima had flown from London to Doha, Qatar, but then flew on to Beirut, Lebanon. It was not immediately clear what caused Mashaima to delay his return to the Persian Gulf country.

At least seven people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries in the days of violent government crackdown on Bahrain's pro-democracy protesters