Government resists calls to roll back BCCI voting system

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

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The government has pushed back against a parliamentary push to roll back Bahrain’s chamber voting system to an earlier model, arguing that the capital-based structure is fairer and better represents business interests.

While some in the business community see the resistance as stalling change, the Bahrain Chamber insists the existing system strikes the right balance and bolsters investor trust. The bill at the centre of this clash seeks to bring back an earlier system for vote distribution.

Currently, a company with BD5 million or more in capital holds 256 votes; companies with BD1 million to BD5 million receive 128 votes, while those with BD500,000 to BD1 million are given 64 votes.

Firms with BD100,000 to BD500,000 get 32 votes, those with BD50,000 to BD100,000 have 16 votes, and companies with BD20,000 to BD50,000 receive 8 votes. Companies under BD20,000 hold 4 votes, while those not disclosing their capital have 2.

The old law, which the bill aims to revive, arranged votes differently: companies with under BD20,000 had 2 votes, those with BD20,000 to BD100,000 were given 3, and businesses from BD100,000 to BD500,000 had 4 votes.

Larger companies

Firms with BD500,000 to BD1 million received 5 votes, those from BD1 million to BD5 million had 6, while larger companies — those between BD5 million and BD100 million — were allotted 7 votes.

Companies with BD100 million to BD500 million held 8 votes, those from BD500 million to BD1 billion had 9, and firms above BD1 billion had 10 votes. Officials emphasise that the current system, established by the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee in the Council of Representatives, is fully aligned with government policy and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI).

In a statement, the government, represented by the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, defended the capital-linked system as a fair method to balance the number of firms against their financial weight.

Multiple registration

They noted that voting in the Chamber of Commerce differs from voting in Parliament, with each member voting as a business owner, some holding multiple registrations similar to shareholders. The government also highlighted that the bill’s points were already reviewed during the drafting of Law No. 16 of 2020.

This law, shaped by thorough studies and discussions among all parties, set up the structure linking votes with capital to reflect economic strength. Backing the government’s stance, BCCI has consistently supported the current voting system, arguing that capital-based voting provides a fair reflection of each company’s contribution to Bahrain’s economy.

The chamber stated that prior to Law No. 16 of 2020, it conducted extensive reviews to ensure fair voting rights across sectors.

Costs

The 2020 updates also reduced costs for companies — a benefit that, according to BCCI, supports the business community.

These changes, BCCI claims, have stabilised the chamber, linking capital to influence while making Bahrain more attractive to overseas investors. The 2020 updates also brought clarity to chamber operations, reducing uncertainty and supporting the chamber’s long-term economic goals.

Meanwhile, the Bahrain Development for SME (BDSME) Society, representing nearly 500 members, reported no complaints regarding the current voting system.

The society believes the setup favours small and micro-businesses, which hold about 70 per cent of the votes, enhancing their representation in chamber elections.

Old system

It opposes a return to the old system, arguing that the current approach offers fairer representation aligned with members’ economic strength.