Bahrain is set to hold on Saturday by-elections boycotted by the main opposition party, Al-Wefaq, as the pro-democracy protesters vow to escalate their actions.

Bahrain is set to hold on Saturday by-elections boycotted by the main opposition party, Al-Wefaq, as the pro-democracy protesters vow to escalate their actions.

The government has considered sanctions against those who do not vote, threatening to exclude them from government jobs and deny them public services.
Al-Wefaq, or the Islamic National Accord Association, in a statement called the measures "terrorizing" and "an organized crime project that contradicts basic principles of humanity and freedom of opinion and expression."

The elections are for 18 seats left vacant in the 40-member parliament after MPs from Al-Wefaq quit in February in protest over a brutal crackdown by security forces on peaceful demonstrators.
However, in total 55 candidates will compete for 14 seats. "Four candidates were already declared winners after their competition withdrew," an Information Affairs Authority statement said.

The main challenge lies in whether 187,000 eligible voters will respond to appeals by the authorities and turn out in especially, after Al-Wefaq said last month it would boycott the election.

Al-Wefaq head Shiekh Ali Salman, speaking on Thursday during a gathering of thousands in a suburb of Manama on "a day of national unity has declared Saturday's polls a "day to mourn democracy."

Activists have called for marches on Friday and Saturday towards Pearl Square, symbol of the protests earlier this year.