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.
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.
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