LG’s Cinema 3D TV in Bahrain soon

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), June 9:

The much-talked LG Group’s Cinema 3D TV is expected to arrive in Bahrain’s markets by end of this month.
Disclosing this to DT, AJM Kooheji Group’s Senior General Manager (Home Appliances, Electronics Division & Commercial Air Conditioning Division) Sanjeev Awasthi, whose company will be the sole distributor of the new product, said that the 3D TV will be in display in all supermarkets and malls for the prospective buyers to have its glimpse.
The present market share of LG in Bahrain is 27.5 per cent and is expected to nearly double once the product is launched in the Kingdom.
“After the Cinema 3D TV was launched in Korea early this year, LG, which was second to Samsung, went on to occupy first place and become the market leader. We are confident of emulating the same in Bahrain and expect our market share to increase up to 50 per cent as this unique product is launched,” Mr Awasthi said.
He said that the Cinema 3D TV will be available in three different sizes - 42, 47 and 55 inches - and with its unique features including flicker-free (Intertek /TÜV Certified), lowest crosstalk, battery-free, brightest 3D picture quality will be an instant hit.
“The glasses introduced are cost effective weighing 16 gm and have no electrical parts. Therefore, they are free of electromagnetic waves which might cause health issues and never need charging. The reasonable price means viewers can buy as many pairs as they need for friends and family, while people who already wear glasses can add clip-on versions to their spectacles for greater comfort and convenience,” he said.

Fox-ed by 3D

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), June 8:

DT yesterday asked Hollywood sex icon if the advent of 3D would change her image. Her response: “certainly not”.
The ‘Jennifer's Body’ actress said: “I think if 3D enhances the way we all appear as actors, then we should embrace it because that is sort of business we are in. I'll welcome it with open arms.” The blue-eyed beauty added, “You still have to go to the theatre to see something as soon as it is released.”
“I would never watch myself in 2-dimension so I am definitely not going to in 3D. I can’t imagine that it’s that different as far as what people see. I am going to watch plenty of other movies in 3D, just none of my own, because I get embarrassed.”
She continued: “I think it is obvious that the ‘Transformers’ movie are going to look incredible in 3D. I think ‘Jennifer's Body’ would also look interesting in 3D, because I eat people in that movie. Strange, frightening and exciting all at the same time. All of the apps it has are great. With YouTube, it's sort of an all-in-one home entertainment system and you don't need separate components. You hook it up and everything is there. It really is amazing.”
“I have one in my bedroom. 3D is amazing and we have a step son who is obviously going to be into 3D in every way,” she said. “I just learned that the TV has a setting that can convert anything you want to watch from 2D to 3D which I didn't realise was even a technology that existed. It's a pretty impressive television.”
“I actually just learned that you can use the Xbob Kinect with the Xbox and connect it to your 3D TV — and it converts the game,” she gushed.
Trying desperately to find things to say about another TV she was gifted. She said: “You use the glasses and it converts for you. I haven't tried that yet but I'm going to try that as soon as I get home.”

Back to the future

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), June 8:

Glitz and glamour took the centre stage as LG Electronics launched its latest next generation flicker free Cinema 3D television at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Hollywood’s charming starlet Megan Fox was the chief guest and the event was attended by nearly 4,000 dignitaries, including LG’s President for Middle East and Africa region KW Kim, Gulf FZE President Hyung Shik Paik, Executive Vice President for Home Entertainment KS Lee, and Bahrain-based AJM Kooheji Group’s Senior General Manager Sanjeev Awasthi.
Describing the new product, Mr Kim said it was more than a television – it was a source of information and entertainment. The electronics maker is now aiming for a 40 per cent market share of the 3-D industry in the region.
“We believe that our products will be able to offer distinguished, next generation 3-D technology to consumers in the Middle East and Africa, based on which we will target a 40 percent market share to become the No. 1 manufacturer of 3-D televisions,” he said. “LG has opened a new chapter in the development of world TV by bringing Cinema 3D to consumers in the region. It represents the absolute pinnacle of 3D TV entertainment using the very best of recent innovative technology from LG. The end result is a superior product that is sure to place us at the very forefront of TV markets around the world.”
He also said he was not sure in the beginning about how people would receive the product but its performance has indicated it has simply “revolutionised the way we watch television” in millions of homes across the globe. The new technology has completely eliminated the flicker associated with standard 3D viewing, and the tiredness and dizziness that can result by showing a single image rather than the two overlapping images of conventional 3D productions.
Mr Kim added: “LG’s goal of ensuring added comfort with a crystal clear and smooth 3D image is certified flicker-free by TUV and Intertek, two world-renowned technology testing agencies from Europe. By addressing the issue of flickering and cross-talk, LG has ensured that dizziness or even nausea that could affect people watching 3D is no longer an issue.”
The TV’s also promise a wide viewing angle and flexible viewing positions, unlike conventional 3D, while the new technology allows LG’s products to display images at 240 frames per second, around four times of that of conventional 3D, making HD 3D a reality. LG’s Light Boost technology delivers outstandingly bright and clear pictures, while a build in 2D-3D converter allows viewers to watch existing 2D content, or even play 2D games on the TV with a new dimension. Predictably, the TVs also come with a host of smart TV features like internet accessibility and a mouse-like ‘Magic Motion’ remote for ease of control.
But the biggest selling point for the new technology is the glasses, which weigh in at just 16 gm, less than half the weight of conventional 3D glasses. “We plan to provide four sets of 3D glasses with each TV set but discussions are on with the dealers to provide up to 10 in the coming days,” he said.
Sharing her experience, the Hollywood actress said that she was totally impressed by LG’s Cinema 3D TVs. “The picture is awesome and the 3D is incredible.”

Parliament website hacked

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), May 28:

Unidentified hackers struck for the third time in as many days yesterday, this time defacing the website of the Council of Representatives.
Previous attacks over the past two days also targetted the website of DT's sister publication Al Ayam, as well as the Health Ministry portal. 
Hackers have also attacked the websites of the Housing Ministry, the National Unity Gathering and other organisations in the past. All these websites were restored hours later.
A group calling itself ‘Human Rights’ is believed to be behind the attacks.
Speaking to DT, Head of Public Relations at the Council of Representatives Mahmeed Al Mahmeed, confirmed that the website came under attack and that IT specialists were dealing with the issue.
“I learnt about the incident in the morning and informed the officials concerned who are working to restore the website," he said.
The site, www.nuwab.gov.bh, provides information pertaining to all Lower House activities including legislation, the activities of various Parliamentary Committees and the agendas of the weekly sessions.

Twitter diplomacy!

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), May 27:

How do two world leaders converse with each other in case of an emergency? Through a hotline, one would assume. However, when Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt recently tried to contact his Bahraini counterpart Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, it was the social networking site Twitter that came to his rescue.
Mr. Bildt was attempting to contact Shaikh Khalid who is currently part of a delegation accompanying Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa on a visit to Europe. However, he could not get in touch with him.
Perhaps as a last resort, Mr. Bildt took full advantage of the digital age and sent a message to Shaikh Khalid on Twitter which was read by millions of fellow Twitter users.
The tweet, sent at around 10.30pm GMT on Wednesday from @carlbildt, read: “@khalidalkhalifa Trying to get in touch with you on an issue.”
The message was sent from an iPad by Mr. Bildt, who is prolific user of the site, and was apparently in reply to a tweet by Shaikh Khalid around three hours earlier in which he referred to the Crown Prince’s meeting with British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Wednesday.
Shaikh Khalid replied to Mr. Bildt, stating: “Nice to hear from you to catch up on matters. Your tweet caught the world’s interest.”
Indeed, Mr. Bildt’s message was retweeted several times by amused web users.

21-year-old woman stopped at Delhi airport

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), June 21:

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel recently stopped a 21-year-old woman from the North Indian city of Amritsar from flying to Bahrain. Scheduled to fly by Gulf Air flight GF-137, from Delhi to Bahrain, the woman was found crying at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), New Delhi.
The distressed woman alleged she was being forced to travel to Bahrain by her maternal grandmother and an agent. “We are investigating the case and a team has been formed to apprehend the people behind the offence,” Deputy Commissioner at IGIA RA Sanjeev told DT.
However, he parried questions on whether the investigating authorities would approach Interior Ministry officials in Bahrain. Another official said that it would depend on the outcome of the investigation.
This is the second time the woman has been rescued by the police. The victim and some other girls were coming to Bahrain three months ago along with two agents but the latter were arrested while the girls were interrogated and sent back to their native places. She had already worked as a bar dancer in Dubai last year.
According to a report, the complainant is an orphan and was assured Rs40,000 (approx BD400) while she was in Dubai. When she could not get the money, she attempted suicide and was extradited to India. A case has been filed under sections 365 and 367/34 for kidnapping.
Bahrain enacted an anti-trafficking legislation three years ago. The law prohibits trafficking of persons for sexual and non-sexual purposes. It also defines human trafficking as transportation, transfer, harbouring, or receiving persons, by means of threat or the use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deceit, abuse of power or of position or any other direct or indirect unlawful means.
Under the law, those convicted of any form of trafficking can be jailed or fined or both. The prison term ranges from three to 15 years, whereas the fine has been set between BD2,000 and BD10,000. It can be much higher depending upon the circumstances.

Budget passed

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), May 4:

Ending weeks of suspense, the Council of Representatives has finally approved the National Budget with a record deficit of about BD1.5billion.
The budget for 2011 and 2012 was voted upon and approved after a heated debate and has now been referred to the Shura Council which will take it up for discussion in its next weekly session.
The budget was approved by the Parliament despite the Government rejecting its proposal to increase Bahrainis’ salaries by 25 per cent.
The Government did however agree to a second proposal by MPs to increase the amount of funds allocated to the housing sector.
In a heated debate over the salary hike proposal, MPs from the Al Asala and Al Menbar groups refused to support the budget, however lawmakers from the Independent bloc agreed to approve the bill.
Finance Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa described the budget as positive and aimed at accelerating socio-economic development.
“The welfare of citizens was kept in mind while making allocations to various sectors like housing, education and health care,” he said.
The housing sector will receive BD360million over two years. These funds are expected to be used to build new housing units in various governorates. The Government has also allotted BD10m per year for the restoration of dilapidated houses.
Apart from this, the education sector has been allocated BD660m which will be used for the construction of schools and the implementation of key initiatives, such as the King Hamad Digital Library programme.
The health sector has received BD534 million with a focus on the completion of ongoing projects, including the opening of the King Hamad General Hospital, establishing a National Center to Combat Cancer and opening a Maternity Hospital in the Central Governorate.
The road sector has been allocated BD68m this year and BD112.2m next year for various projects, including the development of King Faisal Highway and the development of the road network in villages.
The sanitation sector has also been accorded priority with the allocation of BD45.5m in 2011 and BD52.5m in 2012 for the completion of the sewage network in Bahrain and for the maintenance and development of the Tubli Bay water treatment plant.
The budget estimates a total revenue of around BD4.4bn and an expenditure of BD6.2bn.
The Finance Minister said that the projects will gain pace in the coming days as the GCC has also pledged support of $10bn to the Kingdom over a period of ten years.
Speaking to DT, Second Vice Speaker of the Lower House Adel A Rahman Al Moawda said he regrets that the budget was passed without any salary increase for the employees. “It was unfortunate and why should we pass it?” he asked.
Mr. Moawda said that the Government decided to support Alba by providing it with BD600m and this could have covered the salary hike for the next two years. “This would have nourished the economy as people would spend the money. It would have benefited all sections of society,” he said.
He added that people need the salary increase and were even disappointed with the proposed 25 per cent hike, as they need an increase of between 50 or 100 per cent.

Budget talks progressing

V L Srinivasan

Manama (Bahrain), May 2:


A viable solution to the ongoing budget crisis is in sight with the Parliamentary Committee on Financial and Economic Affairs holding talks with the Finance Ministry for the past two days.
The talks between both sides are expected to conclude today in order to enable the Council of Representatives pass the Budget in its weekly session tomorrow.
Speaking to DT, Committee Vice Chairman Othman Mohamed Sharif Al Rayes said that “some progress” has been made during the talks and a “sort of agreement” is likely to be reached by today.
“All I can say is that the discussions are going on in a cordial atmosphere and we hope to settle the issues amicably before the Budget proposals are discussed on the floor of the House on Tuesday,” he said without elaborating further.
Though the Budget proposals for 2011 and 2012 were to be placed in the House on April 26, the government sought one week’s time to look into the changes incorporated by the Parliamentary Committee.
The changes suggested by the Committee include hiking the salaries of employees of the public and private sectors in Bahrain by 25 per cent, enhancing the Budget allocations to the housing sector from BD120m to BD180m per year and also the funds allotted for carrying out repairs to dilapidated buildings from BD10m to BD15m per year.

Parliament to discuss Wefaq resignations

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), May 2:

Seven Al Wefaq MPs have less than 48 hours to reconsider their decision to quit their Parliament seats, as the Lower House is expected to vote on their resignations in its weekly session tomorrow.
In the last elections held in October 2010, the main opposition bloc Al Wefaq won 18 seats in Parliament. However, all Al Wefaq MPs decided to resign en masse in February to protest against the authorities’ handling of protesters.
Lower House Chairman Khalifa Al Dhahrani and MPs from other blocs have appealed to the 18 MPs not to go ahead with their decision to resign, however the MPs have remained adamant about their decision.
The Parliament gave the MPs two months to reconsider their decision, however other lawmakers were irked by public statements made by the bloc.
Consequently, on March 29, the remaining MPs in Parliament from the Al Asala, Al Menbar and Independent blocs voted out 11 of the MPs who had resigned.
A decision on the remaining seven MPs was deferred, as these lawmakers were not directly involved in the anti-government protests during the unrest.
However, with the two-month deadline coming to an end on May 6, the Council will decide the MPs’ fate tomorrow.
“The seven MPs – Dr. Abdali Mohammed Hasan, Abdul Hussain Ahmed Al Metghawi, Sayed Abdulla Majeed Al Ali, Sayed Mohammed Majeed Shubar, Ali Rasheed Hasan Al Asheeri and Hassan Isa Marzooq – have till tomorrow. If they do not return to Parliament by then, then we will have no other choice but to accept their resignations,” Independent MP Khamis Hamad Al Rumaihi told DT.
He said that he is not optimistic about the MPs withdrawing their resignations, since the resignations of their 11 colleagues were accepted by Parliament. “I don’t think they will return,” Mr. Romaihi, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security, said.
If the Parliament accepts the resignations tomorrow, by-elections will probably be held in the coming months to fill the 18 Parliamentary seats left vacant by the Al Wefaq lawmakers.

MP appeals for more ambulances

V L Srinivasan

Manama (Bahrain), May 1:


Independent MP Abdulhameed Jalal Al Meer has urged the government to provide more ambulances to government hospitals.
Mr. Al. Meer, who represents Constituency Two in Muharraq, said that the number of ambulances currently in operation is insufficient to meet population growth.
The MP called for several new ambulances to be added to the Salmaniya Medical Complex’s (SMC) fleet, and for others to be stationed at hospitals and health centres in other parts of Bahrain, particularly in more remote areas.
“In any accident, the first hour is considered a golden hour as the chances of survival are much greater if the injured person is taken to a nearby hospital. As time passes, the chance of survival diminishes,” the MP told DT.
Citing an example, Mr. Al Meer referred to a woman who was hit by a car in Muharraq on Saturday, April 23. The woman suffered several injuries and police patrols who were present immediately called for an ambulance.
“To our surprise, there were no signs of the ambulance even after half an hour. As the woman was writhing in pain, we took her to the Muharraq Medical Centre where the doctors said they did not have the necessary equipment to treat her. As there was no ambulance at the medical centre, the victim was taken to SMC in a private vehicle.”
The MP told DT that he raised the issue in Parliament on Tuesday, however Acting Health Minister Dr. Fatima Al Balooshi was not present.
A source at the Health Ministry told DT that there are two dozen ambulances at the hospital and there have never been any reports of ambulance shortages.
“We have one ambulance stationed in each of the five governorates and the Health Ministry has decided to provide an additional vehicle in each governorate this year,” the source said. 

Five executed in 15 years

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 29:

While the first known execution was carried out in mid 1990s, five persons have been executed during the last decade and a half in Bahrain. While all the five cases related to different incidents and the convicts were executed separately, this is the first time that four persons have been sentenced to death for involvement in a single crime in March this year.
Jasmine Anwar Hussain and Mohammed Hilaluddin were executed in 2006, whereas Mizan Noor Al Rahman
Ayoub Mia was executed in 2008 and the last one Jassim Abdulmanan was executed in July 2010. Incidentally, the last four convicts were Bangladeshi nationals.
Besides these five, another Bangladeshi national Russel Mezan had his death sentence confirmed by the Supreme Court of Bahrain at the end of last year. His has appealed to the Court of Cassation, the highest court in the Kingdom, where his appeal is pending, according to a report of the Amnesty International on death sentences and executions in 2010.
Death penalty is practiced in all six oil-rich Gulf countries- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE. While five of the GCC member states execute convicts either through hanging or by firing squad, only Saudi Arabia follows the Islamic practices of beheading and stoning.
A report by Human Rights Watch highlighted that for many years, Bahrain observed a de facto moratorium on the death penalty. However, with three executions in 2006, one last year, Bahrain appears to be moving against the international trend away from capital punishment.
Psychologist and woman activist Dr Fakhriya Dairi supported death penalty in serious crimes including the rape of girls. “Executing criminals could be cruel, but rapists destroying the future of their female victims is cruel. Rape is a tragedy against all women, but it is worse here as female rape victims are blacklisted in Arab societies with no hope of getting married,” she said.
Independent MP Jassim Al Saidi welcomed the verdict and called for the capital punishment for the Opposition leaders who allegedly promoted unrest in Bahrain. He said that the public are happy to bring justice to the families of the two policemen.
“I hail the transparency of Information Affairs Authority for revealing the horrible crime committed by those terrorists, after seeing the confessions of the convicts we- public- are convinced that the National Safety Lower Court took the right decision,” he said.

MPs set for Government showdown

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 26:

A deadlock between the Government and Parliament over a budget proposal to increase the salaries of Bahrainis appears to be coming to a head with MPs threatening to reject the budget if their demands are not met. 
Lawmakers have refused to budget on the proposal to increase Bahrainis’ salaries by 25 per cent, despite the Government’s warning that this would entail a burden of over BD500million on the exchequer for the next two years.
“We will reject the budget if our proposals to hike the salaries of public and private sector employees in Bahrain are not met. We are also looking to enhance the budget for the housing sector from BD120m to BD180m per year,” Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs Othman Mohamed Sharif Al Rayes told DT.
The MPs are also demanding an increase in the budget for repairs on dilapidated buildings from BD10m to BD15m.
The MP explained that if they are forced to reject the budget, it will then be debated by the Shura Council. “We have to see whether they will agree to the bill or whether they will also turn it down and stand by us,” he said.
Mr. Al Rayes said that although the committee submitted the modified draft of the budget to the government more than seven weeks ago, there has been no response from the Finance Ministry.
The committee was to submit the draft to Council Chairman Khalifa Ahmed Al Dhahrani last week but decided to wait for some more days hoping that Finance Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, who was abroad at the time, would settle the issue.
However, no progress has been made since then, and the MPs are now adamant to go ahead with their proposals.
The Al Asala political society, which has been fully supporting the government in the Council, has also been critical of the Finance Ministry on this matter. Al Asala head MP Abdulhaleem Abdulla Murad told DT said that the government is not interested in hiking the salaries of employees despite the fact that there is no need to be concerned over the deficit as the budget was finalised when oil prices were calculated at $80 per barrel but this has now increased to $110. He explained that the oil hike will generate more revenue for Bahrain and help cover the cost of the salary increase.

MPs mull ration cards for Bahrainis

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 26:

Around 76,000 Bahraini families may soon be issued with ration cards to help them cope with the increasing costs of food and basic commodities.
A committee of MPs yesterday mooted a proposal to set up a new system whereby ration cards are handed out to all Bahraini families regardless of their social background.
The proposal is to be discussed by the Council of Representatives during their session today.
Second Vice Speaker Adel A Rahman Al Moawda explained that such a system will ensure added benefits for Bahrainis and will provide guarantees that the system is not being abused. “It is the right of every citizen to have food security. There are conditions or strings attached to issue ration cards to the Bahraini citizens but everyone will be entitled to get these cards irrespective of their social background,” Mr. Al Moawda told DT.
He explained that the Council has already accepted the proposal and will do its best to have it approved as soon as possible. “Unfortunately, we may only have another two to three sessions (before the summer recess) and we hope that this proposal will be cleared during these sessions. If not, we will take it up after the summer holidays and have it implemented before the end of this year,” he added.
He allayed fears that providing food subsidies to Bahrainis will have an indirect impact on expats as they will have to pay more for their food items. “The majority of expats work for Bahraini families and they take care of their accommodation and food,” he said.
If implemented, Bahrain will be the third country in the region after Kuwait and Qatar to offer such social benefits to its citizens. Bahraini families will be able to purchase essential commodities such as rice, milk, pulses, wheat and meat at subsidised prices as fixed by the Government.
In view of growing inflation, the Government has already announced that each Bahraini family will be given BD50 per month as an inflation subsidy. The proposal to issue ration cards is expected to further help those in need.

Cabbies call for clamp on illegal operators service

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 21:

Registered taxi owners have sought a clampdown on the mushrooming illegal taxi services in the Kingdom.
 While the number of tourists have dwindled during the last two months, the plying of these illegal taxis have been affecting their operations, the taxi drivers claimed.
 The total number of registered taxis in Bahrain is about 1,300 including 967 white and orange coloured ones, 300 London-style vehicles and less than 50 radio-metered ones. Another 1,000 private taxis are said to be running, especially at shopping malls, theatres, airport and crowded areas like Manama and Gudaibiya.
 “We need to have an exclusive and special department within the General Directorate of Traffic which can focus on curbing of these illegal taxis. We brought the matter to the notice of concerned officials and are awaiting their response,” Bahrain Taxi Online Administrator Waleed Fakhroo told DT.
 According to him, these illicit taxis are not only eating into the income of regular taxi drivers but also resulting in a loss to the government in the form of insurance, registration fees etc which would be
hundreds of Bahraini Dinars.
 “Most of these illegal taxi drivers are expats from Asian countries and they have a network through which they operate in two shifts earning between BD800-1200 per month.  Some of them do not even bother to keep their vehicles in good condition resulting in road mishaps,” he said.
 He said that during normal times, hundreds of tourists would have been in Bahrain and the Government should permit more taxis on the roads to meet their demand. “Shortage of registered taxis is also one of the reasons for mushrooming of these private taxis,” he added.
When contacted, Interior Ministry officials said that there is a separate section in the traffic department and a hotline (No 17782828) has been set up to receive complaints upon which action is taken.
 “Besides complaints from general public including taxi drivers, civilian police keep a watch on places frequented by these private taxi operators to catch them red handed. Once they are caught, they would be referred to the Public Prosecution. The court will impose a fine on the illegal taxi drivers and in case they are expats, they can even be deported from Bahrain,” the official said.
 Inspections are also carried by the police officials along with their counterparts in the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA).
On the number of these illegal taxis, the official denied they were in hundreds. “They are much less than what the taxi owners claim and it is not an issue,” he added.

Budget woes

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 19:

In an attempt to resolve a deadlock with the Government over a proposal to increase Bahrainis’ salaries by 25 per cent, a handful of MPs have proposed that this be replaced by a fixed increment of BD75 for employees and pensioners in the public and private sectors.
Speaking to DT, independent MP Hasan Salem Al Doseri said that some MPs have suggested finding a compromise that will help address the financial needs of the public while avoiding any greater burdens on the national economy and increase to the national deficit.
The MP stated that this compromise has been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance. “We are awaiting their response,” he said.
“The 25 per cent hike in salaries, as suggested by the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee, involves huge financial commitment of BD500 million for the next two years. Our proposal will soften this huge impact to some extent,” he said.
“We are counting on the positive response of the Government although we are aware of the bitter experience the Kingdom has gone through over the past two months. The MPs will not pass the Budget for 2011 and 2012 without the increment,” he said.
“Initially, we received a green signal from the Government with regard to our proposal and we don’t know why it has changed its opinion. I am confident that we can reach an understanding on the issue,” the MP added.
Besides the two proposals, 18 MPs from Al Wefaq bloc previously put forward a proposal demanding that Bahrainis with limited income be given a wage hike of 40 per cent.
However, this proposal is no longer under consideration as the 18 MPs resigned from the Council of Representatives in February in protest over the recent unrest.
The Al Wefaq MPs defended their proposal saying that it would enable poor families to cope with increasingly high costs of living. Before resigning, they also demanded an increase in the monthly inflation allowance from BD50 to BD100.
 

MPs look to King Hamad FOR BUDGET SOLUTION

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 18:

Following a months-long deadlock between the Parliament and the Government over a proposed 25 per cent salary hike for Bahraini workers, MPs are now looking to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to solve the impasse.
The Parliament wishes to include the proposal in the new budget for 2011 and 2012, however the Government has warned that any such hike would result in an increased deficit for the Kingdom. As a result, the Parliament has repeatedly postponed approving the budget, despite it being long overdue.
The last time salaries were increased was three to four years ago. MPs feel that the cost of living has increased significantly since then and citizens should be given higher salaries to help them cope with their financial burdens.
“This issue was raised by voters during the elections last year,” a lawmakers told DT.
“On an earlier occasion, we requested the Government to provide Bahraini families with an inflation subsidy, and His Majesty the King issued a directive to this effect, bringing smiles to the faces of Bahrainis,” he said.
Also speaking to DT, head of the Al Asala bloc MP Abdulhaleem Abdulla Murad said that the Government is not interested in implementing any such salary hikes and expressed fear that the Parliament may not approve the draft budget if the salary proposal is not included. 
Mr. Murad, who is also a member of the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee, explained: “If salaries increase, the burden on the exchequer is estimated to be BD250million every year. I am afraid we may have to reject the budget without any discussion. The budget is the biggest and most important issue and if we do not accept it, it means that the people are against it as we represent them,” he said.
He dismissed the ministry’s claims that the salary increase would burden the national economy. “The budget was finalised with oil prices at $80 per barrel but this has now increased to around $110 and will shoot up further beyond $120 as the demand for oil is expected to grow in the coming months. This, in turn, will help generate more revenue,” he said.
“This is an exceptional case and it is not just financial aspects that should be considered. We should think about how we can overcome the deficit in a different manner as this, certainly, is not the way,” he said.
He added that the Government always pushed MPs to pass the Budget in the past but this year is not showing any interest in doing so.
The MP also pointed out that the Government should not simply depend on oil revenues and should diversity the Kingdom’s economic activities by increasing income from non-oil sectors.

 

Budget likely to be passed this week

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 17:

The much-delayed budget for 2011 and 2012 is expected to be approved by Parliament on Tuesday.
With the Ministry of Finance remaining mum on a proposal to include a 25 per cent salary hike for Bahrainis in the budget, the Parliament’s Financial and Economic Affairs Committee has decided to submit the budgetary proposals to Chairman Khalifa Al Dhahrani today without waiting for the Government’s approval.
Earlier this year, the committee submitted the modified proposals to the ministry which warned that a hike in salaries would increase the budgetary deficit.
Speaking to DT, Independent MP and committee member Capt. Mahmood Al Mahmood said that the Parliament has already waited for six weeks for the ministry’s response.
“There was no reply from the Finance Ministry and eventually we decided to go ahead by incorporating our suggestions. We cannot wait as the house will be adjourned soon,” he said.
He added that the committee has suggested increasing the housing sector budget from BD120 million to BD180m per year as the Government has taken up a massive housing programme for the next five years.
“We have also requested the Finance Ministry to enhance the budget for the renovation and construction of old and dilapidated houses from BD10m to BD15m per year for 2011 and 2012,” he said.
“We need more houses and hence we made those modifications. Besides these proposals, the committee did not make any other changes to the allotment of funds to other departments, including vital sectors such as health and education,” he added.
The Finance Ministry has estimated that the deficit will reach BD372.7m in 2011 and BD440.4m in 2012, without the added burden of the proposed salary hike.
The country’s total revenue for two years is expected to reach BD4.4 billion, including BD3.9bn from oil revenue. The recurring expenditure is estimated to be around BD4.148bn.
BD240m has been allocated to the housing sector, BD534m for healthcare, BD660m for education and BD341m for infrastructure development over two years.
The Committee’s Vice Chairman Othman Mohamed Shareef Al Rayes has defended the panel’s decision to include the salary hike proposal in the budget saying that the purpose of the hike is to improve citizens’ standard of living.

Women urged to contest by-elections

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 15:

Women’s rights activists are hoping to see more women contest the by-elections which are to be held in the coming months to fill the seats left vacant by Al Wefaq MPs who stepped down in February.
The Parliament has so far accepted the resignation of 11 of the 18 MPs and although no date has been set for the polls, observers have said that the elections will be held in the coming months. 
Despite women having run in all last three elections, no woman has ever been elected into the Lower House of Parliament, save for Latifa Al Gaoud who ran unopposed in both 2006 and 2010.
In the first-ever elections held in 2002, Ms. Al Gaoud contested unsuccessfully against Khalifa Al Dhahrani, who is the present chairman of the Council.
Nine women contested the most recent polls last year. Among them was Al Waad society member Dr. Munira Fakhro who qualified for the second round of voting, securing 3,079 votes, or 44.01 per cent of her constituency. Despite her large backing, Ms. Fakhro was defeated in the second round.
Despite the lack of women in the Lower House, last year’s elections did mark the first time that a woman was elected in the Municipal polls, with Fatima Salman becoming a municipal councillor in the Muharraq Municipality.
Although some male candidates have already expressed interest in vying for a Parliamentary seat in the upcoming polls, no female candidate has yet expressed interest in contesting.
Speaking to DT yesterday, Ms. Al Gaoud said: “I wholeheartedly welcome women contesting and winning the ensuing by-elections as we should also be given a chance to take part in nation building by participating in the Parliamentary democracy.”
Despite her support for any potential women candidates, the MP said that she would oppose the setting of a quota for women in Parliament. “Bahraini women are well-educated and they are capable enough to become the Members of Parliament on their own merit,” she said.
Also commenting on the polls, representatives of the Bahrain Women’s Union (BWU) said that these by-elections will serve as a great opportunity for women to try and win a seat in the Lower House and women should take full advantage of this opportunity.
Speaking to DT, the BWU head said that although it is against the law for it to back any political candidate, it will work hard to improve the chances for female candidates through social training and awareness campaigns.
During last year’s election, the Ministry of Social Development invoked the provisions of Article 18 of the law banning civic and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from being involved in election activities.
The decision forced members of these NGOs who were planning to contest the polls to suspend their memberships and stopped groups such as the BWU from throwing their weight behind female candidates.

Gov-Parliament deadlock delays budget

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 14:

A proposed 25 per cent salary hike for Bahraini public and private sector workers appears to be the main glitch delaying the approval of the State Budget for 2011 and 2012.
The Parliament is months behind in passing the budget proposals which were referred to it by the Finance Ministry early this year.
In efforts to solve the impasse, the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee is now planning to hold a meeting with senior officials to discuss ways of implementing the salary hike without affecting the Kingdom's economy.
Speaking to DT, Committee Vice Chairman Othman Mohamed Shareef Al Rayes said that the Government has not yet agreed to include the salary hike in the budget fearing that it will increase the budgetary deficit.
“We are planning to hold a meeting with Government representatives soon to discuss how we can implement the proposal without harming the financial interests of the country,” he said.
However, officials have already made it clear in the past that such proposals may affect Bahrain’s credit rating.
Any further delays to approving the budget will have negative consequences on the Kingdom’s development and several MPs have already warned that unless the Government acts fast, many crucial projects in various sectors will be delayed.
“Our panel is working hard to come up with a report and amendments to the budget that meet the expectations of the public and the capabilities of the Government,” Mr. Al Rayes explained.
The Finance Ministry has warned that the deficit for 2011 is already expected to reach BD372.7 million, rising to BD440.4m in 2012, without taking into account the added burden of salary hikes.
Finance Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa has revealed that Bahrain’s total revenue for the next two years is expected to reach BD4.4 billion, including BD3.9bn in oil revenue and BD580m in non-oil revenues and grants. The recurring expenditure is estimated to stand around BD4.148bn.
The minister has stressed that priority has been accorded to vital sectors which have a direct impact on citizens’ daily lives, such as housing, healthcare, education and infrastructure. These sectors have been allocated BD240m, BD534m, BD660m and BD341m respectively.
“The purpose of the salary hike was to improve the living conditions of people. The Government’s excuse for rejecting the proposal is not justified, especially with the allocation of a huge sum of money for recurrent expenditure for the two years,” Mr. Al Rayes said.
The Lower House was supposed to vote on the proposals on Tuesday however the session had to be postponed to today due to a lack of quorum. 
 

By Elections fever heating up

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 12:

For the second time in less than a year, as many as 111,814 voters will exercise their right to elect at least 11 MPs to seats in the Lower House of Parliament left vacant by the resignation of Al Wefaq MPs.
Although the dates for the by-polls have not yet been set, the House last month accepted the resignations of 11 of the 18 Al Wefaq MPs and postponed its decision on the remaining seven.
If the House accepts the seven other resignations, an additional 69,424 voters will go to the polls in the by-elections.
The 18 seats fell vacant after all the Al Wefaq MPs resigned in protest during the unrest in February.
By-elections are widely expected to take place after the State of National Safety ends in June. However, in the case that the National Safety period is extended, the by-elections will be postponed.
Although the former Al Wefaq MPs have the right to contest the by-elections and try to be reelected to their former posts, observers have indicated that they are unlikely to contest the elections this time around.
Former candidate Hamad Jassim Al Harbi has already announced that he is to contest the upcoming polls after he unsuccessfully ran against sitting MP and Chairman of the House Khalifa Al Dahrani in 2006 and 2010.
This time he plans to contest the elections from the Northern Governorate’s Second Constituency – an area previously represented by Al Wefaq MP Ali Al Aswad.
“I decided to stand in the by-election, which was necessitated due to the resignations of the Al Wefaq MPs, to contribute towards the smooth and effective functioning of Parliamentary democracy in the Kingdom,” the Parliamentary hopeful said.
“Although I was keen to run in Constituency Five in the Northern Governorate, represented by Al Wefaq MP Sayed Mohammed Sayed, the House has postponed its decision on his resignation. Hence I have decided to contest from Constituency Two in the same Governorate,” he explained.
Mr. Al Harbi is the first independent candidate to announce his plans to run, while businessman and a member of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) Osama Abdulhameed Al Khaja is the first candidate to be backed by a political bloc to express his interest in contesting the polls.
The Al Asala political bloc has announced its support for Mr. Al Khaja, who will contest from Constituency One in the Central Governorate.
Mr. Al Khaja said he is finalising his electoral manifesto that will address the expectations of voters. He explained that this focus will be mainly on housing, salary increases and improved living conditions for citizens.
He added that he will also seek increased support for small and medium sized businesses.
Unconfirmed reports have also indicated that other candidates from the 2010 polls will be contesting these by-elections. These include Khalid Al Shaer, former MP Hassan Bukhamas and Kadhem Saeed. All the three candidates are independent.
No female candidates have yet confirmed that they will be contesting the polls.

WGA ‘no’ to loan

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 10:

The Sydney-based real estate developer Johnson Property Group (JPG) has decided to place his company into the hands of administrators in an attempt to restructure the business, which is struggling with a $100 million debt load.
The fate of nearly 10,000 new homes between Sydney and Newcastle hangs in
balance following the voluntary liquidation of JPG, which is said to be one of the Australia's largest private property developers.
JPG has approached Bahrain-based Western Gulf Advisory (WGA) founder and Chairman Ahsan Ali Syed seeking a loan of US$100 million to fund its projects.
However, WGA decided against granting loan to the company after an independent private agency conducted due diligence on JPG and submitted its report stating that it was not advisable to invest.
“It is very risky for WGA to park its funds in the Australian-based JPG,” a copy of the report, which was made available to DT, said.
According to reports published in the Australian Financial Review, The Telegraph and New Castle Herald published from Australia, JPG has secured the support of lenders including Westpac, National Australia Bank and Gresham to place the group in the hands of administrators from Sydney accounting firm deVriesTayeh.
The reports also said that JPG’s plan was to try and restructure the business with a refinancing deal. JPG’s current projects include a $200 million development at Lake Macquarie, a development at Cooranbong near the Hunter Valley and the giant Pitt Town housing development in the Hawkesbury Valley, which has been the subject of bitter protests from residents in New South Wales.

Bahrain registers 4.2% growth

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 8:

Bahrain’s economy registered growth of 4.2 per cent in the last quarter of 2010, according to the latest data released by the Central Informatics Organisation (CIO).
Growth stood at 4.4 per cent in the third quarter of last year.
The report was expected to be ready by March 31 but was delayed by a week as additional information was required from various departments and companies.
The Kingdom’s GDP reached 8.627 billion dinars ($22.9 billion) in 2010 and the hydrocarbon sector grew 0.2 per cent in real terms in 2010, while the financial sector added 5.2 per cent.
“Preliminary data indicate that economic growth may continue at constant prices in the Kingdom during the fourth quarter of 2010 reaching 4.2 per cent,” the report said.
The results of most economic activities are relatively good compared to 2009 and also continuing improvement in oil prices provided the government greater discretion to spend the plans and follow less stringent fiscal policies, which helped to continue to grow at a stronger pace and return confidence to private sector activity.
Preliminary figures also show for the fourth quarter of 2010 a significant increase of the economic growth rate at current prices by about 19.4 per cent compared with the previous year due to the increase in oil and aluminum prices in the international markets for its previous levels compared with the last quarter of 2009.
In his comments to DT, CIO President Mohamed Ahmed said: “Despite financial crisis, the growth has been within our expectations.”
The Kingdom's economy grew 1.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2010, accelerating from a revised 0.9 per cent increase in the third quarter.
The construction and real estate sectors though have yet to return to pre-crisis levels. The financial sector, which accounts for nearly 21 per cent of the economy, is only slowly picking after the earlier financial crisis and regional property crash.

‘No mediation’

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 6:

Turkey will not mediate in the domestic affairs of Bahrain but will do everything to bridge the gap between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member state and Iran, its Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said yesterday.
Addressing a joint news conference in Manama with Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Mr. Davutoglu said the present problem in the Kingdom was “absolutely a Bahraini issue” and that there would be no intervention from their side in the matter.
“Our position with regard to Bahrain is very clear. Our ties with Iran do not affect the relations vis-a-vis Bahrain. Whenever I visit Bahrain, I feel that I am a Bahraini and our destiny is Bahrain’s destiny. During such visits, I also meet with political representatives like I did in Egypt. But in the case of Bahrain, it is Bahrain’s domestic policies and there will be no intervention from our side,” he said.
“We will do everything to ease tension as we have good relations with the GCC and Iran. If such a demand (seeking Turkey’s mediation) comes, Turkey is always helpful,” he said.
Mr. Davutoglu said Turkey has a historic relationship with Iran and approached all issues in a friendly manner with that country. “We will try to help in minimising the misunderstanding. In  the case of Bahrain, Turkey is of the opinion that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bahrain is essential. The reforms being implemented by the Kingdom should be supported as they make Bahrain stronger.
“For us, Bahrain is a good example of different religions living together. Security, stability and prosperity of Bahrain are important as the GCC is the key region for world’s economy.
If there is tension in the region, global crisis may emerge and since Bahrain is the backbone of the stability of the region, we do not want any disturbance,” he added.
While praising Turkey’s support of Bahrain’s security and stability, Shaikh Khalid said Iran should realise that what was happening on the ground in Bahrain was different to what they expected.
“We are aware of the sectarian tension and we do not want other states to intervene in the issue,” he said.
The Foreign Minister also took objection to the remarks by Iran comparing Saudi Arabia troops entering Bahrain with Iraq invading Kuwait.
“This cannot be compared as what happened in Kuwait is different from the ground reality in Bahrain. Such a statement is not pleasing and Iran should understand that it will not help,” he added.                            

increments Proposed

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 5:


All Bahrainis working in the government and private sectors will get an increment of BD75 if the Government agrees to a proposal submitted by the Parliamentary Committee on Financial and Economic Affairs.
The Committee made the recommendation as part of its Budget proposals for 2011 and 2012 and is awaiting the Government’s response. Once the proposals are approved, they will be presented to the Council of Representatives and the Shura Council for debate and approval.
The Parliament is set to meet today, however the session is likely to focus on the election of a First Deputy Speaker following the resignation of the Al Wefaq MP filling that post.
It is therefore unlikely that the lawmakers will discuss the Budget proposals, even if the Government approves them by the time the session commences.
Speaking to DT, Independent MP and Committee member Latifa Mohamed Al Gaud said that the increments would cost the Government between BD150 million and BD200 million every year.
“This is part of Government’s social responsibility and is being done to further raise people’s standards of living. It will help them to cope with rising inflation,” she said.
Commenting on previous reports that the increments would be as high as BD200 per month, the MP said that such a large allowance would increase the budgetary deficit beyond 5 per cent of the Kingdom’s GDP, which is not acceptable either regionally or globally.
“This would also affect the exchange rate of the Bahraini dinar which goes against the nation’s interests,” she added.
Ms. Al Gaud explained that the Committee has already finalised the recommendations and they have been submitted to the Government.
“We are waiting for a response but the Budget proposals may not be taken up for discussion on Tuesday,” she told DT yesterday.
Discussing other aspects of the proposals, Ms. Al Gaud said that the Committee made no changes to the funds allotted for housing as GCC member states have agreed to give grants of $10 billion to Bahrain and Oman for infrastructure projects.
Under the scheme, Oman and Bahrain will receive $1 billion every year for the next 10 years. “Although housing is very important and the government has accorded it top priority, we did not recommend any enhancement to its allocated funding as the sector is getting money from GCC funds,” she said.
She stressed that the Budget should be passed at the earliest as the first quarter of 2011 is now already over. “Any further delay would affect the implementation of various infrastructural projects in the Kingdom,” she warned.

Cineola era on way

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 2:

Chennai-based Cineola Digital Cinemas, which forayed into India’s digital cinema distribution last week, is planning to revolutionise the Middle East film industry by introducing the same here.
Not only would viewers be exposed to good movie watching — clarity of sound and visuals — but they would also enjoy discounts as theatre-owners promise to cut costs by at least 20 per cent.
Based on the company's proprietary technology, the new system promises to give producers a secure hold on their content with the AES 256-byte encryption. This is expected to help in curbing piracy, which has been a major threat to the industry.
The brain behind the project, which was launched in Chennai by renowned film actor Kamal Haasan last week, is Bahrain-based Indian expat and Cineola Digital Cinemas Director John Antony.
“I worked with my father, who is managing director of a construction firm, for nearly two years but film technology was always my passion. I decided to do something in the field of my interest and took up the project,” Mr Antony, a chemical engineer from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai IT, told DT.
Though not an avid watcher of the customary commercial films, Mr Antony is fascinated by art films and some of his favourite directors include Adoor Gopalakrishnan and John Abraham.
Giving details of the project, Mr Antony said his company was planning to digitise films as they are still being shown in the theatres through 35mm tapes. A new technology will help in preventing piracy because of a separate encrypted key that would be given to theatre managers.
“When the movie is exhibited on the first day, the clarity is more. But it gets poorer in the following days as the film roll is used repeatedly. With this technology, we can ensure a better picture,” Mr Antony said.
According to him, the present pixels of the movies shown are 1080 and they want to take it to next level of 1152 and 2048 pixels.
The company has already developed 2K and 4K servers to enable theatres to digitally project films.
“Our ingenious technology will cater to the music and film industry by delivering world class digital image products,” he said adding that his company would tie up with both film production houses and theatres, as part of their project.
Films will be encoded by the company and later distributed to theatres that are equipped for projection of digital films. “Encryption keys, developed by our key management software, will be used to secure access to film, thereby tackling piracy,” he said.
“For theatre owners, we have developed Theatre Management Applications, including a customised online film ticketing website, to aid them in digital cinema exhibition,” he added.

Key Parliament posts up for grabs

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 1:

During its next weekly session on Tuesday, the Council of Representatives is expected to discuss nominations for the filling of key Parliamentary posts left vacant following the mass resignation of all Al Wefaq MPs.
The most important post is that of First Deputy Speaker that was previously held by Al Wefaq MP Khalil Marzooq. The Independents group – a 12-member bloc that has now become the single largest group in Parliament – is eager to have one of its members fill this post and will lobby for the nomination in the upcoming meeting.
“We have to choose the First Deputy Speaker either in the next session or after two weeks. Since we are the largest group, I feel one of us should be elected to the post,” Independent MP and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security Affairs Committee Khamis Hamad Al Rumaihi told DT.
The name of Independent MP Hasan Salem Al Doseri has been doing the rounds and he is expected to soon be nominated by his peers.
This was confirmed by Mr. Al Doseri who told DT: “I am in the race for the post but the name will be finalised only after all of us discuss the issue.”
Despite lawmakers’ assurances that the posts will be filled in the coming weeks, former MP and an expert on Bahrain’s Constitution Yousif Zainalabdeen Zainal said that the Members of Parliament should refrain from filling these positions and should wait until the by-elections are held and 18 more MPs are elected to the seats left vacant by Al Wefaq.
Mr. Zainal explained that under normal circumstances, the elections would be held within 60 days, however there is no actual time limit to fill up the posts according to the bylaws of the Constitution.
“Since the atmosphere is not conducive and His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has to take a decision on holding by elections, the House can have a senior most MP from among the remaining 22 members in the House to officiate as acting Chairman in case the present the Chairman Khalifa Ahmed Al Dhahrani is away on some work or has gone abroad to attend official meetings,” he said.
Besides the post of First Deputy Speaker, the Mps are also seeking to fill the positions of Chairman of the Financial and Economic Affairs, previously held by Abduljaleel Khaleel Ebrahim, Chairman of the Public Utilities and Environment Committee, previously Jawad F G Fairooz, and Vice Chairman of the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee, a post previously held by Mohammed Yusuf Mazaal.

New National Unity initiative launched

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), April 1:

As many as 45 prominent Bahrainis, under the chairmanship of former Labour Minister Abdulnabi Al Shoala, have launched a new initiative to promote unity in the Kingdom.
With members drawn from all walks of life and representing various economic, social and cultural segments, this group will try to heal the sectarian rifts resulting from the recent unrest.
The group will hold discussions with civil and political societies to ensure that things return back to normal. As part of the initiative, the group members, who include bankers, auditors, academics, doctors and businessmen, have already formed three committees for the planning and organising of programmes intended to increase unity.
“Our plan is to see how best we can contribute to unity in the nation by combating the efforts of some vested interests who want to disintegrate the nation on sectarian basis, particularly dividing Sunnis and Shias. This has gone beyond tolerable limits and is threatening the very social fabric of the Kingdom," Mr. Al Shoala told DT.
He said that the Committee for Follow-up and Coordination will be headed by Mr. Jawad Habib with Mr. Khalid Zayani, Elham Hassan and Ibrahim Amir as its members.
The Drafting Committee will be chaired by Dr. Abdullah Al Hawaj, renowned lawyer Ahmad Abdullah Shamlan, Mr. Fouad Shehab, Mr. Baqer Al Najjar and Dr. Shawki Al Dallal.
The Committee for Programmes will be headed by Dr. Khalid Abdullah and its members include Ms. Afnan Al Zayani, Dr. Ibtisam Al Dallal, Mr. Jawad Al Hawaj, Dr. Waleed Zubari and Mr. Kazim Saeed and Ubaydli Obaidli.
Mr. Al Shoala explained that sectarian rifts are slowly creeping into the minds of younger generations and this is a cause of concern for everybody.
“There is an urgent need to address this issue. We feel that national unity is our most valuable asset which should be protected and cherished at any cost. The nature and culture of any Bahraini is tolerance and this tradition should continue for generations to come,” he said.
Programmes are now being finalised for implementation. “The first step is to communicate with the wise leadership of the Kingdom and our desire is to implement the decisions taken by Bahrain's leaders,” he said.
He added that although their effort has nothing to do with the national dialogue initiated by Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, they hope that it would expedite the process.
“National unity is important and eradicating the very thought of sectarianism from the people’s minds is our top priority as we do not want our children and grandchildren to be dragged into this controversy,” he said.
The Committee on Programmes has finalised some projects, like the ‘One Nation One Blood’ initiative which encourages citizens to participate in blood donation campaigns.
It is also utilising social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. “We will utilise the media to the hilt to spread the message of peace and harmony,” he added.

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), March 31:

By-elections for the 11 parliamentary seats left vacant following mass resignations by Al Wefaq MPs are inevitable, an expert on the Bahraini Constitution said yesterday.
Renowned attorney Yousif Zainalabdeen Zainal said as the matter has been referred to the Justice Minister, elections are now the only option.
“His Majesty Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa can call for elections at his discretion at a certain time if the situation is conducive to holding them,” Mr. Zainal, who served as an MP between 2002 and 2006, told DT.
He added that in all likelihood, the elections would be held within the next two to three months and Al Wefaq would boycott the polls.
Mr. Zainal added that once the Council has accepted the resignations, they are now final. “Article 63 of the Constitution gives the Council the right to decide whether it should accept the resignations which cannot be challenged in a court of law,” he said.
Al Asala leader MP Adel Al Moawda added that the 11 ex-MPs, like any other citizens, can contest the elections provided they are not facing any court cases.
“It is up to His Majesty the King to decide when the elections should be held. It can be one week, one month or six months,” he said.
Mr. Al Moawda condemned the MPs for resigning from the Parliament, saying that they have not lived up to their responsibilities as lawmakers. 
“The en masse resignation means the remaining 22 MPs have to do the work of 40 MPs, which is very difficult and puts a great burden on them,” he said.
The lawmaker added that Al Wefaq Society was apparently “surprised” that the Council had accepted its resignations.

Traffic violations outnumber cars!

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), March 30:

The number of traffic violations recorded in 2010 outnumbered the actual number of cars on the Kingdom’s roads, the General Directorate of Traffic revealed yesterday.
According to traffic statistics, 487,148 violations were recorded last year, outnumbering the amount of cars on the road by more than 32,000.
Most of the violations – 90,975 of them – involved drivers not wearing their seat belts, while 37,142 drivers were stopped for speeding, 31,255 for using their mobile phones while driving and 27,301 for crossing red lights. Despite the large number of traffic violations and an increase in the number of cars on the road, there has been a decrease in the number of fatal accidents.
Director Brigadier Abdulrahman bin Sabah Al Khalifa said that 74 people died in traffic accidents last year, down from 76 in 2009, 84 in 2008 and 91 in 2007. “Statistical analysis showed that car drivers in the age group of 20-24 were more vulnerable to traffic accidents than others,” the official added.
This decrease has been attributed to the strict enforcement of traffic regulations and increased awareness among motorists as a result of traffic awareness campaigns.
Brigadier Abdulrahman explained that the campaigns have been “substantially important” in helping to maintain safety to the roads. “That they have been really efficient in saving lives is considered as one of the main achievements in the Kingdom,” he added.
Brigadier Abdulrahman said that reducing road accidents is one of the priorities of Interior Minister Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa.
“The advanced surveillance cameras, new traffic patrols, the use of state-of-the-art technologies, sound public oriented services and awareness among road users have had a great impact in reducing road mishaps,” the official said.
He added that analyses of fatal road accidents have shown that many are the result of neglect, miscalculation, driving through red lights, motorists failing to maintain a safe distance between cars, careless driving and overtaking on highways.

 

By-elections likely for vacant seats

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), March 30:

By-elections are likely for vacant Parliamentary seats after the Lower House accepted the resignations of 11 of 18 MPs belonging to the main opposition Al Wefaq bloc yesterday.
Voting on the resignations of seven other members of the same group was postponed.
 Sources told DT that the Lower House decided to postpone voting on the seven MPs because they were not involved in anti-Bahrain statements in print or online media.
 With the acceptance of the resignation of the current eleven and the expected approval of the remaining seven, 18 of the 40 seats would be empty. The House will decide how to fill these seats and by-elections in 18 constituencies could be one of the options. The Chamber will also need to reconstitute its panels in which most of its committees are chaired by the Al Wefaq MPs who resigned from the House.
 The House accepted the resignations of First Deputy Speaker Khalil Ebrahim Al Marzouq, Abduljalil Khalil Ebrahim, Jawad Fairooz Guloom, Mohammed Yusuf Al Mezaal, Sayed Hadi Hasan Moussawi, Salman Abdulla Salem, Abdulmajeed Mohamed Al Sebea, Matar Ibrahim Matar, Ali Mahdi Al Aswad, Dr. Jassim Hussain Ghuloom and Hassan Jumaa Ali Sultan.
 The MPs also voted unanimously to postpone the resignations of seven other members from the same bloc including Dr Abdali Mohammed Hasan, Abdul Hussain Ahmed Al Metghawi, Sayed Abdulla Majeed Al Ali, Sayed Mohammed Majeed Shubar, Ali Rasheed Hasan Al Asheeri and Hassan Isa Marzooq.
 The Chamber voted to accept the resignation of each of the 11 members separately and urged Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa to take the necessary procedures. With the acceptance of the resignation of the current eleven and the expected approval of the remaining seven, 18 of the 40 seats would be empty. The house will decide how to fill these seats and by elections in 18 constituencies could be one of the options.
 The Chamber will also need to reconstitute its panels in which most of its committees are chaired by the Al Wefaq MPs who resigned from the House.
 The session was attended by all 22 lawmakers and the voting was held publicly. However, a proposal by some MPs to have an in camera session was rejected by majority of MPs.
 The 18 MPs Al Wefaq National Islamic Society resigned a month ago to protest against the government’s decision on dealing with protests that resulted in the death of some of protesters in the mid of February.
 When Al Wefaq MPs handed their resignations en masse on February 27, MPs from other political blocs deferred voting on the same for two months expecting the resigned MPs to reconsider its decision. The calls of many MPs including the Lower House Chairman Khalifa Ahmed Al Dhahrani failed to convince them.
 Apparently irked at their stubbornness and the statements being made publicly by the Al Wefaq members against the Government, Many MPs from the remaining three political blocs - Al Asala, Al Manber and Independents - decided to bring forward the voting.
 In a statement, the Al Wefaq bloc maintained that the reason behind the resignations was because of its opposition to the crackdown.
 The statement also said that it was unable to understand why only 11 of the 18 resignations were accepted and the reason behind it. “Our 18 MPs have received 64 per cent of the votes in last year's elections.
Our MPs will continue to work for people though they are not members of the House,” the statement said.
 

MPs boycott Parliament

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain) March 23:

The weekly session of the Council of Representatives was postponed yesterday after members of the Al Asala and Independent blocs boycotted Parliament.
The boycott was held in protest against a decision not to include on the session’s agenda a discussion on the resignation of 18 Al Wefaq MPs.
The Al Wefaq MPs resigned on February 27 to protest the deaths of seven anti-government demonstrators at the start of the unrest last month.
MP Khamis Al Rumaihi told DT that besides him and Chairman Khalifa Al Dhahrani, only seven MPs attended the session.
The Council has repeatedly deferred its discussion on the resignations to give the MPs time to reconsider their decision. However, members of the Al Asala and Independent blocs said yesterday that it is no longer necessary to keep deferring the matter.
MP Abdullah Khalaf Al Doseri, an Independent bloc member, said that they are trying to impress upon the Chairman the importance of discussing the resignations.
Asked if they would resort to similar action next week, Al Doseri said that it is too early to tell, but insisted that the House should look into the matter at the earliest. He added that five MPs have already submitted a proposal in this regard.
The agenda for yesterday’s meeting included a discussion on the Interior Ministry’s efforts to restore stability.
“I came to attend the session as usual but was told that the session would not take place due to lack of quorum,” MP Al Rumaihi told DT.
He urged all lawmakers to attend next week’s session and discuss the State Budget for 2011 and 2012 which must be approved soon.
The Chairman has defended his decision not to include the Al Wefaq resignations on the agenda, saying that the members failed to arrive at a consensus regarding the matter.
“It is a sensitive issue and the decision to postpone the discussion was not taken by me alone but by the majority of the MPs in view of the present situation in Bahrain,” he explained.
He also called upon the lawmakers to work together for the best interest of the nation and its citizens. “The House postponed the topic for two months to give a chance for the national dialogue to commence and to find political solutions to the issues facing the Kingdom,” he said.

‘Economy will recover soon’

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), March 21:

Bahrain may have lost an estimated $1 billion in various sectors due to the recent unrest, however the economy is now on the path to recovery, captains of industry said yesterday.
Although final figures are yet to be confirmed, the hospitality sector is believed to have been the worst hit by the crisis, with many hotels registering a room occupancy ratio of less than 10 per cent. A major blow to this sector was the postponement of the Formula One Grand Prix, which would have fetched millions of dollars for companies across the Kingdom.
The tourism sector contributes nine per cent of Bahrain’s GDP and this is expected to grow to 11 per cent by 2020.
“It is unfortunate that businesses have taken a full hit but we are confident that they will rebound with much vigour as the situation is improving,” Chairman of the International Trading and Investment Company and President of the Bahrain Businessmen Association, Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, told DT.
Shaikh Hisham explained that businesses thrive in a congenial atmosphere and with security being restored in the Kingdom, the industry can now look to the future with confidence.
Leading banker and BBK Chairman Murad Ali Murad added that signs of stability are now visible, although it will require a few more days for the situation to fully return to normal. “Once people get the confidence of security, they will start work and life will continue as usual,” he said.
The retail and commercial sectors have also been affected as a vast amount of people stopped using their credit and debit cards. Others, who may have been planning to make large purchases, such as buying a house or a car, put their plans on hold. “This had an adverse impact on the banks, which provide services to these sectors,” Mr. Murad explained.
He added that although the loss has been substantial, the country will recover in no time as the government will soon begin working on housing projects and this will have a positive impact on the economy.
Mr. Murad explained that the royal gift of BD1,000 distributed to every Bahraini family by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa a few weeks ago will also help with the recovery as through these gifts more than BD120 million will enter the economy.

Ahsan hits back at critics

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), March 11:

Founder and President of the Bahrain-based Western Gulf Advisory Asset and Wealth Management (WGA) Ahsan Ali Syed has vowed to silence his critics by seeking legal recourse.
In an exclusive interview with DT on the allegations levelled against him by Australian-based real estate developer Johnson Property Group (JPG) and other vested interests, Mr. Syed said: “The accusations are baseless and frivolous. JPG has approached WGA seeking funds for its project in New South Wales. However, as per our policy, we offer loans only after getting due diligence reports from an independent agency.”
A copy of the due diligence report on JPG, which was made available to DT, showed that it was very risky for WGA to park its funds in the Australian company. “They should have some credibility to secure the loan without which not only WGA but no bank would lend (them) money,” he said.
On claims made by JPG and published in the Australian media that $81,000 was paid as a non-refundable fee and another $3.8m was paid as an establishment fee to WGA to secure a $155m loan at 4.07 per cent interest, Mr. Syed categorically denied that JPG has ever invested money in his company.
“All prospective clients are asked to conduct due diligence report on our company and only after they are satisfied with our antecedents, will there be scope for further negotiations. When JPG failed to meet the requisite norms set by our company, we decided not to fund them,” he said.
However, he added, the Australian real estate developer paid commitment fees to WGA for the due diligence report on their firm (WGA). “We told them repeatedly – to be more precise on seven occasions – to take back the commitment fees from us. But they still insisted on going ahead with the deal. JPG is only making claims but we have documentary evidence to prove our stand,” he said.
Mr. Syed added that he wants to know why JPG did not tell the Australian media about the reasons for WGA’s refusal to provide a loan. “They only want to use pressure tactics on WGA to secure a loan and we will not allow this to happen. JPG also did not disclose its past to us when applying for the loan,” he said.
Mr. Syed questioned which law in the world would say that WGA should park its money in a risky asset or a nonperforming asset. “Even if you apply for a credit card, the bank concerned will make 100 enquiries and the applicant has to sign 100 papers before the card is issued. If this is so, how can we pay $155 million to a company whose due diligence report is not satisfactory?” he said.
Mr. Syed stressed that he never spoke about JPG in public as this would have breached the non-disclosure agreement. “But they were upset with us as we refused to fund them. They have gone to the media blaming us and we are forced to speak out.”
“This is not the only company whose applications were rejected, there are many like this,” he said.

Officials demolish ‘dangerous’ houses

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), March 7:

The demolition work of nearly 28 dilapidated and vacant buildings in Manama has reached its halfway mark, a senior official of the Manama Municipality said.
The decision to pull down the structures was taken after the roof of one such building collapsed earlier this year, killing one person and injuring another. Municipalities  Affairs and Urban Planning Minister
Dr Juma Al Kaabi, who visited the house on the day, announced all such old buildings to be identified for demolition to prevent recurrence.
In an interview with DT, Inspection and Follow-up Manager in Manama Municipality Mohammed Saad Al Sehali said 12 buildings had been demolished already and the remaining 16 would be brought down soon. Almost 75 buildings had been demolished last year; most of them were at least four decades old.
“Though Manama Municipality has 70 blocks and 46,000 buildings (according to 2010 census), we are focusing on old structures located in blocks ranging from numbers 301 to 305. However, this does not imply that we are ignoring dangerous buildings in other areas,” he said.
While administrative decisions were taken with regard to some houses, officials were given court orders to demolish the others. Either the owners can demolish buildings at their cost or leave it to the Municipality.
While most owners are okay with the decision to demolish their buildings, officials are currently dealing with an owner who refused to vacate his building.
“Local authorities are helping us evict tenants and get the job done,” said Mr Al Sehali. “We appeal to the people living in old houses to inform Municipal officials about dangerous buildings for necessary action to be initiated.”

Opposition groups set terms for talks

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), March 4:

Six opposition societies yesterday presented a set of demands, including removal of the present government, as a precondition to national dialogue initiated by Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa a few days ago.
Leaders of the six societies – Ebrahim Sharif Alsayed (National Democratic Alliance Society), Sheikh Ali Salman (Al Wefaq National Islamic Society), Dr Hassan Madan (Progressive Tribune), Fadhel Abbas (National Assembly Association), Hamood Al Ghasra (Nationalist Democratic Association), and Moosa Al Ansari (Brotherhood Association) – also acknowledged the receipt of invitation for the talks from the Crown Prince's Court three days ago.
Speaking to reporters at NDAS headquarters, they announced the demands which included removal of the present government, scrapping the Constitution which was adopted in 2002, release of remaining 90 political prisoners and the “proper and independent” probe into the death of seven persons who died in the unrest in the Kingdom since February 14.
They also want that people who stage protests be protected and called upon the five GCC member states not to extend any financial support to the present regime as they should wait for the transition government.
The right of people to have a “truly elected Parliament” should be established and an interim government with high quality and integrity should take the country on par with developed nations in terms of human rights after all these years. The other demands include freedom of media and a commitment to all assurances made at the national dialogue.
To a spate of questions, the groups claimed that the government has naturalised 60,000 people in the last ten years to change the country’s demography. They also dismissed the suggestion to have a referendum on the various issues raised by them.
“We don’t want to be part of Iran, but we are calling for constitutional monarchy. We are also opposed to discrimination of people based on sects. We want an end to the tribal rule and want to be a civil society,” they said.
To another question on the absence of Haqq movement representatives, the six leaders said they will work together as the opposition had a common agenda of removal of the government. “Though we have some differences, they are small and will not affect the progress of the talks,” Mr Ebrahim Sharif said.

MP urges new power tariff

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), March 2:


Independent MP Abdulhameed Jalal Al Meer has proposed a new power tariff system that would reduce
costs for consumers as well as commercial establishments. 
In a proposal submitted to Parliament, the MP suggested reduced electricity tariffs for commercial establishments that are majority owned by Bahrainis. He also proposed that the existing tariff system in place since 2005 be changed to ensure that consumers pay no more than 9 fils per unit of electricity.
According to the current system, consumers pay 3 fils per unit for the first 3,000 units of electricity used. This increases to 9 fils for the next 2,000 units consumed and then rises to 16 fils for every unit of electricity over 5,000 units.
Commercial establishments pay a flat rate of 16 fils per unit of electricity.
“I have requested the government to remove the third bracket for domestic consumers. I also suggested that the charges for commercial establishments in which Bahrainis have more than 50 per cent share, be slashed from 16 fils to 9 fils per unit so as to ease burden on them,” Mr. Al Meer told DT.
The government has already provided additional subsidies for food and other basic commodities, however reduced tariffs would go a long way in helping citizens cope with the rising cost of living, the lawmaker explained.
He added that the reductions would also provide an added incentive to businesses looking to invest in Bahrain.
The proposal is to be forwarded to the concerned Parliamentary committee for debate. Members of the committee will discuss the matter with government officials and once cleared by the committee it will then be voted upon and referred to the Cabinet for approval.

MP seeks more health specialists

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), Feb 28:

Independent MP Abdulhameed Jalal Al Meer representing Constituency Two in Muharraq came up with a pragmatic solution for the problem of overcrowding of patients at Kingdom’s Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC).
He said specialist doctors should be appointed and the latest equipment should be provided in all health centres across the Kingdom.
To begin with, three specialists for common diseases should be posted in each of the three round-the-clock health centres located in Umm al Hassam, Muharraq and Hamad Town, he said. Once it proves to be successful, it can be extended to four medical centres that are open till midnight every day.
“The decentralisation of specialised medical care will definitely reduce the steady rise in the patient rush in SMC where doctors can then concentrate on people who are in serious conditions,” Mr Al Meer told DT.
He is aware that a significant amount of money would be required to implement his suggestions. For that, he is planning to raise the issue in Parliament either tomorrow or next week. By doing so, SMC can be converted into a referral hospital with health centres serving as base hospitals.
He feels that the suggestion can be considered keeping in view the benefits that would accrue to patients who need not come all the way to SMC.
“It will be like providing quality medicare to people at their doorsteps,” he averred.
On an average, doctors at SMC treat between 850-1,200 patients every day. Even though the bed strength in the complex is 1,070, authorities are forced to reserve a few beds to meet emergency situations, since SMC is the only major hospital in the public sector.
However, during the recent crisis, doctors had a tough time treating dozens of injured brought in at the same time.
SMC officials also welcomed the suggestions made by Mr Al Meer as they believe it would reduce strain on hospital staff.
“There is a need to change people’s mindset and educate them that they can visit health centres in their respective areas for ailments like fever, stomach pain and so on. But still, they repose confidence in us and we cannot turn them away,” a source from SMC told DT.

Al Wefaq MPs quit Parliament

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), Feb 28:

Eighteen MPs from the Al Wefaq bloc yesterday resigned en masse from the Council of Representatives.
The decision to resign from the Parliament was conveyed in a letter to the office of the Chairman of the Council of Representatives Khalifa Ahmed Al Dhahrani who called a meeting with the MPs at 12.30pm tomorrow to discuss the matter. However, the Al Wefaq lawmakers promptly turned down his request for a meeting. “We are writing another letter to Mr. Dhahrani to inform him that we cannot attend the meeting and our decision to resign from the Parliament is final,” MP Matar Ebrahim Matar told DT.
The 18 MPs previously announced their withdrawal from the Lower House in protest against the crackdown on protesters earlier in the month.
Mr. Matar added that according to Parliament protocol the Chairman should reply to the MPs within three days and if the MPs stick to their decision to resign the matter will be referred to the Parliament where a majority of MPs must approve the resignations. “Once the decision is approved, fresh elections have to be held to fill the seats of the resigned MPs,” he said.
“If the resignations are not accepted, the Council will lose its legitimacy as the 18 MPs represent 64 per cent of the electorate.”
Echoing similar sentiments, MP Dr. Jassim Hussain said that political issues should be resolved with political solutions and not through the use of force.
“Bahrain should be a role model of democracy in this part of the world as we are educated, cultured and have a long history,” he said.

State budget ‘will not be affected’

V.L. Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain) Feb 20:
 
The political impasse currently being faced in the Council of Representatives is not expected to have any affect on the state budget for the next two years, a senior member of the Shura Council said yesterday.
The main opposition bloc in parliament, Al Wefaq, which holds 18 seats in the 40-member Lower House, announced earlier this week that it was suspending its participation in Parliament following deadly clashes between protesters and security forces. The Al Wefaq MPs say they want amendments to be made to the Constitution.
The draft budget proposals for 2011 and 2012 were introduced last month and were being discussed by the members of the Shura Council and the Lower House. Some of the amendments proposed by the Parliament were agreed to by the Government and a final debate on the budget was expected to be held in the coming days.
“We hope that the issue will be settled and that the opposition members reconsider their decision and return to fulfill their commitments,” Shura Council member and Chairman of the Council’s Financial and Economic Affairs Committee Khalid Al Maskati told DT.
He said that Al Wefaq’s decision to withdraw from Parliament is not a good sign and sends the wrong signal to voters. He added that the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament should work together to ratify the budget proposals and ensure prosperity and welfare for citizens.
Member of Parliament and Vice Chairman of the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee Othman Mohamed Al Rayes also expressed confidence that there would be no hitch in passing the budget as the Parliament must approve it within six weeks of beginning the budget debate.
The budget proposals, announced by Finance Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa last month, say that the Government will spend BD5.3 billion over the next two years. The budget is based on the estimate of oil prices being around $100 per barrel.
Subsequently, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued directives for an additional BD155 million to be added to the budget to fund welfare programmes. Priority has been accorded to key sectors such as housing, which has a budget of BD240 million, healthcare, with a budget of BD534 million, and education, for which BD660 million has been allocated. An additional BD341 million will go to infrastructure development.
 

Hizbollah flags seized at Pearl Roundabout

V L Srinivasan

Manama (Bahrain), Feb 18:

Flags of Hizbollah, four fire arms, live ammunition, swords and knives and other incriminatory material were recovered at Pearl Roundabout yesterday.
In an interview with Bahrain TV, Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier Taraq Al Hassan, who gave details on what happened at the Pearl Roundabout and how the riot police broke up the sit-in, said that these material were recovered from one of the tents of the demonstrators when security officials searched them after evacuating the protesters.
“As many as 50 security men were wounded in the clashes,” he said and pointed out that some of them were critical and two security officers were stabbed with swords.
"The gathering at the Pearl Roundabout started with limited demands.
However, they turned into illegitimate ones soon," Brigadier Al Hassan said while explaining about the illegitimacy of the gathering from day one.
"The riot police commander asked the crowd over loudspeakers to leave the place before any action was taken against them and police forces covered one side leaving the others for the demonstrators to quit," he said.
But one of the demonstrators deliberately mowed on the security officers injuring
many and leaving one with amputated fingers before he was arrested.
"The security forces progressed from North to South, from Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Highway, offering a way to the demonstrators to quit the area from South," he revealed.
He also dismissed allegations that the security forces prevented ambulances from reaching the area. "This contravenes our noble message. What happened is that some demonstrators stole an ambulance.
So, we checked the identity of every ambulance entering the area," Brigadier Al Hassan explained.
Among the 50 policemen injured, 27 were admitted to Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Hospital and the condition of two of them was serious.
The others are undergoing treatment at the health centre in police headquarters.
Brigadier Al Hassan added security forces tried to be communicative with protesters to end the sit-in peacefully, to ensure legal practice within this institutional state.
“However, some protestors exploited this tolerant atmosphere to impose illegal practices and disturb citizens and residents by stopping them at checkpoints made for vehicles and passers-by in the surrounding areas of the Roundabout,” he said.
He called upon people to follow the constitution and the law while expressing their freedom of expression, and to show patriotism and concerns for the interests of the country.

Three killed, 125 injured

V L Srinivasan
Manama (Bahrain), Feb 18:


In a pre-dawn swoop, Special Security Forces personnel from the Interior Ministry stormed the Pearl Roundabout and dispersed hundreds of demonstrators from its vicinity early yesterday.
While the ministry confirmed two deaths in the operation that lasted for more than an hour, the main Opposition Al Wefaq claimed that three persons were killed.
On the other hand, the Government has also stationed the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) personnel in the Capital Governorate to provide further security and safety to people and their properties and called upon the people to avoid gathering in their own interest.
Operation Pearl Roundabout began with the security personnel arriving at the venue around 3am and asked the demonstrators, who had been camping at the site following the death of two people since Tuesday, to leave as it was illegal for them to stage a protest in the area. Most protestors, including women and children were sleeping in their makeshift tents around that time.
While some of the demonstrators heeded to the warning, others raised slogans and started clashing with police.
One of the injured protesters was in a critical condition while 82 others had been discharged after being treated for minor injuries. The others were undergoing treatment in Salmaniya Medical Complex.
Meanwhile, protestors alleged that four people were killed and identified the victims as Hussain Zayeb, Ali Khudeer, Mahmood Makki and Isa Abdul Hussain. They also pleaded for people to come forward and donate blood, as SMC reportedly did not have enough blood in their blood bank, to treat the injured.
On the other hand, the Shura Council and Parliament, which were scheduled to hold a special meeting to discuss the events that occurred in the Kingdom during the last three days, cancelled the meeting.
In a statement, Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) said all operations at Bahrain International Airport were running normally and all flights were on schedule. Air passengers or those wishing to receive passengers are advised to leave ample time for the journey to the airport to mitigate any possible delays or traffic congestions, the statement said.
A correspondent of ABC News Miguel Marquez was assaulted by men with billy clubs while covering the Pearl Roundabout protest rally.
Mr Marquez said he was not badly injured, but he was hit several times and his camera was pulled from his hands while he yelled, “Journalist, journalist!” — trying to show he was not a protester. He was on
the phone to ABC News in New York when the attack happened.