Concrete achievements expected from cabinet, says Hamad

Manama: Bahrain's King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa told the newly formed cabinet that he anticipated full dedication to reforms and development.

"I welcome you as a team fully dedicated to serving the nation's reforms and the citizens' aspirations ... We anticipate concrete achievements and fulfilment of high expectations," King Hamad said after the cabinet was sworn in late on Tuesday.

The cabinet reshuffle announced on Monday saw the exit of three ministers, including veteran Shaikh Abdullah Bin Khalid Al Khalifa, the inclusion of five ministers, including opposition society Al Wefaq founder Dr Nizar Al Baharna, the unprecedented nomination of a Shiite deputy prime minister, the scrapping of the transport ministry and the merger of the justice and Islamic affairs ministries.

But for Akhbar Al Khaleej columnist Ali Saleh, regardless of their competence, the number of ministers is disturbing.

"This is an oversized government and I do not see why the number of ministers grew from 14 in 1975 to 24 in the latest cabinet," he wrote yesterday. "Why should there be two ministers to run the foreign affairs and two ministers in the defence?"

Writing for Al Watan, columnist Hesham Al Zayani said that the high number of ministers would make Bahrainis think they are in Saudi Arabia or Egypt. "It is not a matter of size, but rather commitment to the nation and achievements."