The Gulf kingdom of Bahrain is going to the polls on 24 November – but don’t expect much to change. King Hamad has banned the main opposition parties since the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprising in 2011 and shut down the country’s only independent newspaper last year.
Whatever happens, the King’s uncle will remain prime minister – a post he has held since 1971 – making him the longest serving PM anywhere in the world. The election only extends to the powerless lower house of Bahrain’s parliament; membership of the upper house is decided by the King.
