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Bahrain voters cast ballots in runoff election

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AP Manama
Bahraini voters are returning to the polls for a runoff election being boycotted by the opposition for the country's first new parliament since widespread Arab Spring-inspired protests nearly four years ago.

Saturday's election follows a first-round vote last weekend and is for 34 seats in the 40-seat lower house of parliament where no candidate won a majority.

Bahraini authorities say more than half of registered voters cast ballots last weekend, though leading Shiite opposition group al-Wefaq disputes that figure. It estimated turnout at closer to 30 percent.

Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet and is part of the US-led coalition striking the Islamic State group. It continues to face street clashes and other low-level unrest as its majority Shiites push for greater political freedoms from the Sunni monarchy.

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First Published: Nov 29 2014 | 12:25 PM IST

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