Gulf | Bahrain
Bahrain dismisses reports of move to replace two controversial ministers
Local daily says government approached parliament Speaker over the status of officials.
- By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
- Published: 21:53 March 9, 2008
Manama Bahrain's government on Sunday rejected claims that it was conferring with the parliament Speaker over replacing two ministers whose possible quizzing has divided the lower house alongside sectarian lines and is threatening its future.
"The replacement of ministers is the prerogative of the king and the prime minister within their assessment of the country's highest interests. Such a right is clearly guaranteed by the constitution for the executive branch," Dr Yasser Al Nasser, the government secretary-general, said in a statement to the press.
The report was also rejected by the Council of Representatives Speaker Khalifa Al Dhahrani who said the issue was never brought up in his meeting last week with the prime minister.
'Credible information'
On Saturday, a local paper said that it had credible information that Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa and Al Dhahrani discussed the replacement of the two ministers as a solution to the bitter standoff between the MPs and which halted the last two sessions and is threatening to bring the next assembly on Tuesday to chaos.
State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Shaikh Ahmad Bin Atiyat Allah Al Khalifa is wanted by Al Wefaq, the parliament's largest bloc, for alleged financial deals incompatible with his status as minister.
However, the other blocs have vehemently rejected Al Wefaq's move, claiming that it was a personal vendetta against the minister who was named as a major actor in an alleged secret plot to limit the power of Shiites in the 2006 elections.
However, the other blocs, led by the Islamic Menbar, have called for the quizzing of the agriculture and municipal affairs minister Mansoor Bin Rajab for alleged financial malpractices and violating the constitution by chairing the board of a private hospital.
Although Bin Rajab has resigned from the board, the MPs have refused to backtrack, citing cases of financial mismanagement within his ministry.
Last month, the parliament session was cancelled minutes after name-calling and shouting between MPs proposing the quizzing of Shaikh Ahmad and those who opposed it disrupted it.
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