Tight battle for leadership roles in Parliament’s Financial and Economic Committee

TDT | Manama

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With the countdown to the third session of the Council of Representatives (2024-2025) beginning in about two weeks, intense competition is brewing for leadership positions within various parliamentary committees. The spotlight is particularly focused on the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee, which is expected to be highly active during the upcoming session.

The committee will handle several crucial bills and projects, most notably the state’s general budget, which will be debated between the legislative and executive branches.

Responsibility

The Financial Committee will be responsible for all related discussions within the Council. Sources within the Council have confirmed that five out of the committee’s eight members have expressed preliminary interest in vying for leadership positions – Chairman and Vice-Chairman – within the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee.

According to these sources, a new contender has entered the race for the chairmanship: MP Mohammed Al Maarefi.

Candidates

He will be competing against MP Mohammed Al Ahmed and MP Ahmed Al Saloum, the head of the Strategic Thinking Parliamentary Bloc. Both Al Ahmed and Al Saloum had previously held this position.

The sources also indicated that the current chairwoman, MP Zainab Abdulameer, has yet to declare her intentions regarding a re-election bid, although it’s widely expected she won’t seek a new term.

Her decision, or potential endorsement of another candidate, remains uncertain. For the Vice-Chairman position, the sources revealed that the current Vice-Chairwoman, MP Eman Shuwaitar, and MP Mohammed Al Rifaei both intend to run.

Informal bloc

The sources further suggested that if MP Mohammed Al Ahmed secures the chairmanship, MP Mohammed Al Rifaei is likely to win the vice-chairmanship, as they reportedly form an informal bloc within the committee, along with other members. However, if MP Ahmed Al Saloum or another candidate wins the chairmanship, the vice-chairmanship would go to a different MP.