MANAMA (Xinhua) -- Three hardline opposition groups announced on Tuesday to form a coalition group that aims to convert monarchy into republic in Bahrain.

The new group “Coalition for a Bahraini Republic” includes Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy, Al Wafa Islamic Society and London-based Bahrain Freedom movement.
Leading opposition figure Shaikh Hassan Mushaima, who returned last month from Britain following a royal pardon, is a key member to lead the movement.
Mushaima, the secretary-general of the hardline Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy, was one of the 25 men charged of running a clandestine terror network in Bahrain last year. He was charged in absentia.
In the worst unrest in the kingdom since the 1990s, a wave of protests swept across Bahrain in the past several weeks.
Protestors continued their demand for the resignation of the entire cabinet that should be replaced by the individuals elected by citizens.