Opposition groups in Bahrain officially submitted demands to the ruling family that included the introduction of a constitutional monarchy and the dissolution of the government

Opposition groups in Bahrain on Thursday officially submitted demands to the ruling Al-Khalifa family that included the introduction of a constitutional monarchy and the dissolution of the government, a move that underlined opposition groups' determination to secure sweeping political change.

The grouping of six main opposition parties, including major opposition bloc Al-Wefaq as well as secular groups, outlined its core demands at a press conference in Manama. The proposals included the release of all political prisoners, electoral changes and the formation of a new interim government, along with an independent investigation into the martyrdom of seven protesters since the clashes began in the kingdom over a week ago.

The opposition groups said the demands represented a formal response to Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa's call for dialogue, but stressed that the opening of direct talks would depend on the government's acceptance of their framework and the provision of guarantees for the safety of antigovernment protesters. The opposition wants citizens to be able to "elect a parliament with full legislative powers".
The final condition is that the outcomes of the dialogue are guaranteed to be "applied and respected".

"We want [the] regime to say that in principle they agree to [the] abolition of [the] 2002 constitution and [a] new assembly on one man, one vote," said Ebrahim Sharif, a former banker who heads the National Democratic Action Society, one of the groups tasked with unifying the opposition's message, adding that the ruling family must recognize "the rights of people to have [a] fully elected parliament with exclusive judicial oversight power."

Bahrain's Ministry of Information responded in a press release that the demands demonstrated the "substantial differences between the various groups and parties willing to engage in the national dialogue," and underlined the need for dialogue to begin as soon as practically possible. "It is precisely for this reason that the dialogue must start in order that a political settlement can be reached by consensus," the statement said.

Meanwhile, a mass rally outside the government headquarters in the capital, Manama, has been scheduled for Friday.