Bahrain’s main opposition bloc, al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, urged the al-Khalifa regime to respond positively to the international calls for an inclusive national dialogue in the Persian Gulf country, regretting that the Royal family still favors a “costly security option”.

In a statement on Tuesday, al-Wefaq condemned the Manama regime for continuing to exercise violence against peaceful protests and emphasized the regime should adopt a broad-based political solution to the ongoing crisis gripping the tiny Persian Gulf nation.

It added that arbitrary arrests and unjust court rulings will not hide the country’s political crisis, stressing that such moves indicate that the crisis is getting deeper in the Arab country.

The people of Bahrain will never retreat from their demands for a democratic change in the country, the opposition bloc said, stressing that it fully supports the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call for an inclusive political dialogue in Bahrain.

Earlier, the UN chief reiterated his call on all parties in Bahrain to engage in an all-inclusive dialogue to ease tensions.

Bahrain has been the scene of almost daily protests against the Al Khalifa regime since early 2011, when an uprising began in the country.

Scores of Bahrainis have been killed and hundreds of others wounded and arrested in the ongoing crackdown on peaceful protests.

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