The seats of three councillors sacked over their role in unrest in Bahrain in 2011 have finally been filled, while two more remain vacant, according to Gulf Daily News.

The central council has been operating without quorum and only half of its allocated councillor positions for two years after five councillors were sacked by the rest of the council in April 2011 for allegedly participating in the violent unrest that has been blamed for several deaths.

The sacked councillors are former central vice-chairman Adel Al Sitri and Hussain Al Oraibi, Abdulredha Zuhair, Sadiq Rabea’a – all members of opposition group Al Wefaq National Islamic Society – and Dr Mohammed Abbas.

The men launched legal action in Bahrain’s High Court calling for their positions to be reinstated, but their case was thrown out by the Cassation Court in January.

Under municipal law, the men will be replaced by candidates who finished runners-up in the preceding election.

Al Oraibi will be replaced by Majdi Al Nasheet, Al Sitri by Eyad Mohammed Hassan Jaber and Rabea’a by Radhi Matar Hassan, Gulf Daily News said.

It is unclear who will fill Zuhair’s seat after the runner-up, Ali Abdulaziz Salman, was allegedly involved in a blast that injured four policemen in Eker in April 2012, leaving third placed Ali Abdulhassan as the most likely candidate.

Central council chairman Abdulrazzak Al Hattab said Salman’s whereabouts, including whether he was in jail, were not known and he had been given until the end of June to come forward or Abdulhassan would be awarded the seat.

Meanwhile, Sameer Ahmed Ali Ahmed could replace Abbas but is awaiting approval from the Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry.

The replacements will be sworn in during a ceremony at the Central Municipal Council on Wednesday.

An election to select a new vice-chairman will be held after the vacant seats have been held.

Bahrain has suffered civil unrest for two years as pro-democracy protestors clash with the government and ruling family. Human rights groups have consistently accused the country of violently cracking down on opponents and overreacting to protests, some of which have become violent and deadly.