Manama: Two women journalists were on Saturday elected to the board of the Bahrain Journalists Associations (BJA) in the biennial elections.
Ahdeya Ahmad and Samah Allam will be among the eight new members of the board after they were voted in by the general assembly.
The elections of two editors-in chief, Abudaili Al Abudaili, from Al Wasat, and Moenes Al Mardi, from Al Bilad, was an unprecedented development for the association founded in 2001 as an umbrella for all Bahrain-based journalists, regardless of their nationalities. In the early days, the presence of editors in chief on the board was among the most debated controversies.
Eisa Al Shaiji, the incumbent chairman, will lead the association for another two years after he ran unopposed for the post.
Bahrain has five dailies in Arabic and two in English. All papers are privately-owned.
The BJA has been lobbying for the promulgation of a new press law that would supersede the controversial Press Law 47, but the lower chamber has not yet moved fully on the latest draft.
