Majority of Arabs believe Bahrain's promise to reform

A majority of Arabs claim to have confidence in Bahrain’s government to carry out promised reforms in the wake of protests in the Gulf Kingdom in 2011, according to the latest Doha Debates opinion poll. 

The findings are in sharp contrast to the views of the audience who attended the December edition of “The Doha Debates,” where 78 percent gave the Bahraini government a vote of no confidence on its promise to reform. 

The opinion poll, which surveyed 1,008 people in the GCC, North Africa and the Levant, found most support for the government in neighboring Gulf States.  

Sixty percent of respondents in the GCC said they opposed the ongoing public protests in Bahrain, and 41 percent from the region believe that the Bahraini government’s crackdown on the demonstrations was “the right thing to do.” 

Meanwhile, around one third of those questioned in North Africa and the Levant said they believe the government crackdown was needed but was done too violently (33% and 34%, respectively). 

Although a majority (around two thirds) “trusted” the government’s intentions, a considerable proportion of respondents said they would still like to see free and democratic elections take place in Bahrain. 

The survey was carried out by the polling company YouGov between 8-14 January 2012.