Gulf Countries, Bahrain Is Subject to the

¶ … Gulf countries, Bahrain is subject to the rule of a royal family, appointed to rule by birth. Politically, the royal family has seen upheavals in the form of protests by several opposition movements, including a group known as the February 14 Coalition. The group is so named because of its involvement in the February 14, 2011 uprising against the royal family in the counry. The current political set-up in Bahrain is its rule by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

He is about 62 years old, and it is his leadership that the February 14 Coalition seeks to overthrow. Although educatede in Britain and considered as a reformer, some regard the king as somewhat weak when it comes to members of his family that oppose reformation. One of these is the king's uncle, Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, who has been active since the independence of Bahrain in 1971.

Some of the conflict in the country relates to the fact that the Shiite Muslims in the country believe that they are being treated as "second class citizens," specifically being deprived of their share of political power and economic wealth within the nation. He forms a unit with his brother and they are known as the Khawalids, a branch of the Al Khalifa family that is traced to an ancestor Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa.

Both brothers are immovably opposed to striking any compromise with the Shiite Muslims in the country. The argument from this side of the political power is that, the more concessions are made to the Shiite community, the more demands they make. In September 2013, Lt. Col. Abduallah bin Muhammad bin Rashid was appointed Ambassador to the United States, providing additional power to the ruling family.

As Crown Prince, the King's son has the deputy Prime Minister, Muhammad bin Mubarak Al Khalifa and Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmad bin Muhammad Al Khalifa as allies. The position of deputy Prime Minister was created in March 2013, apparently to strengthen the strength of the faction by the appointment of Crown Prince Salman. In terms of government opposition in the country, formal political parties are banned in favor of maintaining the royal rule. Neverhteless, elections have been held every four years since 2002 for the purpose of electing a majority.

During these, there have been increasing perceptions of attempts by the existing government to prevent the election of a Shiite majority and a concomitant increase of political tension, resulting in the 2011 uprising as a result of government opposition. The February 14 Coalition, so named after the 2011 uprising in the country, consists mainly of young people. The demonstrations are considered the largest in Bahrain's history. The group is led by anonymous individuals and protests are organized by means of new-media sites. Their first appearance was on the pro-democracy.