Shura Council sessions resume functioning

Shura Council sessions were resumed yesterday after one week of “controversial” suspension, due to an alleged “lack of subjects to discuss”.

This came two weeks after the council’s Chairman Ali Saleh Al Saleh announced the suspension of last week’s session (February 28), stating that “not enough topics were referred by the Council of Representative for Shura Council members to discuss”.

Al Saleh’s words gained much criticism and rejection from MPs, who claimed that “it’s hindering the legislative process in the Kingdom and is against the reforms project of HM the King.”

However, Al Saleh stated by the beginning of the session yesterday, “We have received a bunch of decrees and law proposals from the Council of Representatives during the past two weeks. We hope for this momentum to remain and I’m sure that legislative matters would among be the Council of Representatives’ priorities.”

On the other side, Education Minister Dr. Majid Al Nuaimi attended the session as a representative of the Government, instead of the former Parliament, Shura Council and Information Affairs Minister Isa bin Abdulrahman Al Hammadi.

Al Hammadi was replaced by the new Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Minister Ghanim bin Fadhul Al Buainain, but the new minister hadn’t taken the ministerial oath yet.

The council discussed yesterday a bunch of law proposals that included supporting Bahraini women and other legislative matters.