Manama: Bahrain’s parliament is ready to sit on Sunday for the first time since it was reshaped following the quadrennial elections of the Council of Representative, its lower chamber, and the appointment of new members to the Shura Council, its upper chamber.
King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa has issued an order to have the bi-cameral parliament convene one day after the announcement of the new government.
Under Bahrain’s constitution, the cabinet resigns following the elections, paving the way for a reshuffle of the ministers.
More than half of the 40 Shura Council members have been replaced and 23 new figures were on Sunday appointed for the first time.
The Shura has nine women, two less than the outgoing one that had 11 women. Four of the women make their Shura debuts.
The Shura also includes four former lawmakers who moved from the Council of Representatives, including Adel Al Mouawda and Sawsan Taqawi.
As is customary since it was first established under the constitution in 2002, the Shura Council includes Christian and Jewish representatives.
In a week of dramatic changes within Bahrain’s top institutions, the number of ministers in the new cabinet was reduced to 17 after some ministries were dropped and others were merged, reflecting the strong tendency to limit bureaucracy and promote a more efficient approach to public work.
Chairing the first session of the new cabinet on Sunday, King Hamad said that Bahrain was “on the eve of a new and fourth legislative term requiring the government and the legislative branch to work together to achieve the nation’s aspirations for a decent life, security and safety.”
King Hamad requested the new ministers to intensify fieldwork in order to be informed closely about the reality of the situation, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.
In his statement, Prime Minister Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa “affirmed commitment to shouldering the national responsibilities, vowing to spare no effort to implement the royal directives.”
The government has a strong resolve to continue serving the homeland and to defend the interests of the people and public funds, Prince Khalifa said.
In a statement following the session, the Secretary-General of the Cabinet Dr Yasser Al Nasser said King Hamad had directed the cabinet to “exert its best efforts to achieve aspirations for a decent life for the citizens and to consolidate the security and stability enjoyed by Bahrain despite the instability prevailing in the region.”
King Hamad urged ministers to intensify fieldwork and to meet the citizens directly in order to assess and meet their needs and to be well informed about their conditions, he added.
