Remote meetings for Shura and Representatives’ Councils

TDT | Manama

The Shura Council will start to hold its sessions remotely from Sunday, while the Council of Representatives will conduct its next session on Tuesday virtually. These moves were announced yesterday by both bodies.

They are in line with directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the instructions of the Government Executive Committee, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, as well as the decisions of the National Taskforce for Combatting Coronavirus (COVID-19). Shura Council Chairman Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh stressed the need to be committed to the precautionary directives to safeguard the safety of everyone.

He also expressed the Shura Council’s support for all steps taken by the Government, the Executive Committee and the National Taskforce regarding distant work. Al Saleh directed secretary general Osama Ahmed Al Asfoor to take all necessary procedures to hold the Shura Council’s sessions remotely. Meanwhile, the Council of Representatives’ remote session will be the first of its kind in the history of parliamentary work in the Kingdom.

The move is in line with the directives of the Council’s Speaker Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal, to activate the e-parliament strategy, following the success of the distant meetings held by parliamentary committees, the Council’s bureau and the parliamentary delegation. The Representatives Council’s secretariat-general has completed all preparations to hold the virtual session on Tuesday, in cooperation with MPs and the relevant sides.