Global praise for Bahrain record in promoting democracy and human rights!

TDT | Manama           

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A total of 115 international organisations working to advance democracy and human rights around the world have praised Bahrain’s 50 years of democratic practice as well as the establishment of a state of institutions and law.

They applauded the progress made in Bahrain under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, which put the Kingdom ahead of other nations in the region in terms of energising the parliament and encouraging public participation.

The organisations said in a statement that Bahrain’s experience, which is rooted in its rational and exemplary dimension, has deepened as a result of the royal care and the broad support of the Bahraini people, who endorsed the National Action Charter in a popular plebiscite with more than 98% of the vote in 2001.

The Charter affirmed Bahrain’s strong commitment to democracy, public participation, the establishment of a state of institutions and law, and the launch of democratic practice and parliament in line with HM the King’s reforms.

Isa Al Arabi, president of the Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR), said that Bahrain’s outstanding experience, under HM King Hamad’s leadership, is one of the most prominent in the region for achieving democracy and popular parliamentary participation.

Royal aspirations

“The government, headed by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, is keen, through cooperation and partnership, on fulfilling the lofty royal aspirations and the ambitions of the Bahraini people,” he said.

“This is an experience that the Kingdom of Bahrain has been successfully pursuing with high integrity and transparency amid a government and popular commitment to reinforce the popular democracy launched in the Kingdom under the National Action Charter and the Constitution to bolster national achievements.”

The AOHR, which represents the largest Arab and international coalition of regional and international human rights organsations concerned with promoting respect for human rights and democracy in the Arab world – in partnership with 115 international organisations – issued their statement in appreciation of Bahrain’s distinguished international status, Al Arabi noted.

He added that the organisations represent a wide range of European and Arab non-governmental organisations and centres with consultative status at the United Nations. Al Arabi said that the organisations expressed their appreciation of Bahrain’s progress in fulfilling its commitment to protecting democracy, establishing parliament processes and popular participation, and holding democratic and parliamentary elections on their due dates, despite the hostile external dangers and threats that targeted its security, stability and development.

“They (AOHR ) also commended His Majesty the King’s keenness to promote popular participation in the administration of the state, protect the parliamentary process launched more than five decades ago and the completion of two decades of democratic prosperity based on partnership, integration and transparency. This process emanated from the National Action Charter and the reform project of HM the King,” he said.

Young generation

Al Arabi stressed the importance of the role of the young generation that grew up within the reforms and the consolidation of the democratic governance and popular participation in Bahrain.

“This experience can be considered, according to the statement of the international organisations, a unique model in good governance and the establishment of a state of institutions and law under governmental and popular care,” he said.

Al Arabi stressed the importance of organising the parliamentary and municipal elections for the sixth time with a popular participation that is the largest since the start of the democratic experience in Bahrain and the establishment of parliamentary processes. He also praised the popular commitment to participate in the national entitlement.