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.
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.
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