Holding meetings for electing speaker before first procedural session is illegal: Dr Al-Ghaith
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Disputes over electing the speaker and deputy speakers took another crucial turn yesterday, with the Parliamentary Legal Advisers board now stepping in to declare that it is illegal to begin any procedures or meetings for the speaker election prior to the procedural session of the Council of Representatives.
An Alayam report has said that invitations are out to 40 elected representatives to listen to the programmes and views of four candidates for speaker election, sparking protests from many elected representatives.
Yesterday, Dr Saleh Ibrahim Al-Ghaith, Chairman of the Council of Legal Advisors in the House of Representatives, confirmed that it is not permissible to initiate any preliminary meetings or discussions for electing a speaker and two deputies without conducting the first procedural session.
Dr Al Ghaith said this after meeting the board of directors of legal advisors and Speaker Fawzia bin Abdullah Zainal.
The meeting, he said, unanimously concluded that it is not permissible to invoke any procedures for electing a speaker other than at the time and place decided for that constitutionally.
Explaining, he said that the term of the House of Representatives is four years from the date of its first meeting and that the MPs shall elect in their first session a speaker and two deputies from the members for the same term.
He also pointed out that Article 77 of the constitution stipulates that any meetings held for this purpose, other than at a time and place scheduled by the council, stand invalid.
He pointed out that after the Royal speech, the House of Representatives will hold its first session, where the eldest member will assume the presidency, assisted by two senior members.
“Their role ends with electing a speaker, following Article (6) of Decree-Law No. (54) of 2002 regarding the internal regulations of the House of Representatives.”
Members shall submit nominations to the session chairperson, after which the election will take place in an open session.
Article (49) stipulates that “the chairman could delay the opening of the session for half an hour if more than half the members are not present and could postpone to a later date if the desired quorum is not present.
“Therefore, it is not permissible to start any procedures or meetings related to speaker election,” said Dr Saleh Ibrahim Al-Ghaith.
Hearing candidates before the first session is illegal: Representative Representatives, who refused to disclose their identities, had said they would not attend the sessions scheduled for today to hear the four-speaker candidates.
An AlAyam report quoting them said the sessions are illegal and clearly violate constitution.
Members pointed out that all candidates will receive proper time to address the parliament, and the members are free to elect anybody.
“There is no need to hold a session before that.”
“Holding such sessions will only deny the rights of others who desire to run for the positions and limits the number of candidates to four. “These actions would only cause a rift between deputies and negatively affect the performance of the parliament,” the members pointed out.
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