Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): A Bahraini Civil Service Bureau source said that hundreds of government employees had submitted requests to withdraw from the voluntary retirement program, noting that the Bureau had not yet received directives from the Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad in this regard.

The source told Bahrain Mirror that human resources officials in ministries and government agencies have informed the Bureau of receiving daily requests of withdrawal from the program, pointing out that most of employees gave justifications related to their financial conditions.

Bahrain has launched an optional retirement program as part of a package of structural fiscal reforms to reduce public spending. According to the program, the employee is given financial incentives and a pension in exchange for the termination of one's services.

The Crown Prince said during his participation in an investment forum in Saudi Arabia that 6,000 or perhaps more employees had applied for the program.

Salman bin Hamad oversees the implementation of a package of reforms approved by a Gulf team in exchange for providing financial aid worth 10 billion dollars for Bahrain.

The Bureau opened the door for joining the program for a full month ending on November 8. Employees are demanding an open door as well for withdrawal from the controversial program for a similar period, but the Bureau says there is no current mechanism for withdrawal.

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