"Certain regional pressures may also apply against states wishing to reform, as the US political science professor As'ad AbuKhalil noted. AbuKhalil, who was invited to meet the emir of Qatar, subsequently wrotethat the latter informed him that political advances in one Gulf state couldn't exceed political advances in another. Today, Bahrain's parliament is almost devoid of opposition voices after the main opposition party decided to boycott post-crackdown elections, bringing the once-vibrant parliament in line with its Gulf peers." (thanks Sultan)