Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs bin Atiyatallah al-Khalifa Ahmad of Bahrain

In March, Shaikh Ahmad said Bahrain's population was 1,046,000, including 529,000 Bahrainis and 517,000 foreigners.

Al Wefaq maintains that Shaikh Ahmad had plotted to rig the elections and alter Bahrain's demographic balance, but he has denied both charges.

Shaikh Ahmad said that he would later reveal more information about the issue which has deeply divided Bahraini society between callers for an independent investigation and offended citizens who have accused Al Bandar of spying and attempting to erode national unity alongside sectarian lines.

To the surprise of most people, but to the great delight of the press, Shaikh Ahmad came out publicly and told reporters about how his farm had been regularly targeted by rioters, although it was the first time that they had set rooms ablaze, endangering the lives of the Asian workers who lived there.