Islamist wins, Iran crisis stymie Bahrain polls

LONDON, June 19 (IranMania) - Bahrainis will go to the polls this year to elect a new parliament and municipal councils, a relatively rare occurrence in the Persian Gulf monarchies, yet analysts believe the drive for reform is losing steam, AFP reported.

The Islamists' advances during recent elections in the region and the tensions over Iran's nuclear program are hindering the democratization process launched in 2001, Bahrain-watchers say.

Bahrain, a tiny Persian Gulf archipelago ruled by a Sunni dynasty but with a majority of Shiites among its native population of under half a million, has been studiously applying US recipes for democratization in the Arab and Islamic world. Read on.