Buhindi: “This proposal benefits pensioners who spent their lives looking after their families and the good of the nation”
Deputy Chairman of the Permanent Committee for Shari’ah and Legal Affairs
Member of the Investigative Committee on Unregistered Foreign Workers
Sunni cleric Buhindi has affiliated himself with other Sunni Islamist MPs, but has also been active in addressing issues close to the hearts of local constituents, like the housing file.
Housing, services & infrastructure
Housing: On 19 Jan, Buhindi discussed accelerating housing projects with the Housing Minister. Buhindi on 17 Apr discussed constituency planning needs with the Minister of Works. Buhindi cited projects the Minister had agreed to take forward.
Traffic: Buhindi spoke in Parliament on 28 April in support of the proposal to turn the iconic Clock Tower Roundabout in Riffa into a bridge, to ease congestion.
Standards of living, health & education
Education: During the 24 March open debate on teachers Buhindi said Bahrainis avoided teaching as a career. He criticized some schools for playing music at the beginning of the school day saying “in the past we used to hear Quranic verses”.
Pensioners: During the 5 May parliamentary session, MPs approved a proposal for reducing fees incurred against pensioners by 50%. Buhindi said: “This proposal benefits pensioners who spent their lives looking after their families and the good of the nation”.
Economy & employment
Foreign workers: During the 3 March parliamentary debate on the “free visa” system”, Buhindi said that this had resulted in women being sexual assaulted.
Nurseries: During the 17 March parliamentary session Buhindi was one of the advocates of a proposal for increasing the wages of nursery employees.
Good governance & public finance
Public debt: Buhindi on 29 March rejected the rumours circulating that the Parliament’s decision rejecting a rise in the public debt ceiling would result in cuts of services to low income families.
Minister interrogation: Buhindi on 4 May told the media that there was a proposal to remove questions about overseas treatment from the proposal for interrogating the Health Minister. Buhindi is a member of the committee deciding whether or not to interrogate the Minister, headed by Majid al-Majid.
Buhindi had been one of the supporters of the interrogation, but he said that he would vote against it in Parliament because “my agreement was based on the substantiation of the interrogation, but I believe that the subject areas don’t amount to going to an interrogation phase, rather just a committee of investigation”.
Buhindi was just one of three MPs who voted against the Health Minister’s interrogation over issues related to the Financial Audit Bureau Report. During the 5 May parliamentary session an insufficient number of MPs voted in support of interrogating the Health Minister (23 supported, below the 2/3 quota of 27 MPs).
Policing & regional security
Ex-Military restrictions: In the 24 Feb vote on former army personnel from taking jobs overseas, Buhindi voiced concerns about how the measures may limit freedoms and if punishments were too stringent. However he voted in favour.
Iran: During the 24 March parliamentary debate 21 MPs supported issuing a statement condemning Iranian interference in Bahrain. Buhindi said: “Iran wants to carry out its plans to occupy the Gulf states and building its Safawi empire”. Buhindi on 31 March said in response to Iran’s meddling Arab leaders should take measures to liberate the UAE islands occupied by Iran.
Yemen: Bin-Hindi on 8 April stressed parliamentary support for the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen and the return of the rule of law in Yemen.
Rights, freedoms & religion
Media: Buhindi was one of five MPs who proposed educational TV programmes TV for promoting family stability, the proposal was agreed by Parliament. (17 March)
Youth, culture & sport
Sport: Buhindi was one of 10 MPs who on 16 March proposed an open debate to discuss what the Government was doing to promote Bahraini sport and athletes.
Parliament role & constituent engagement
Walkout: On 10 February Buhindi participated in a walkout after the head of Parliament refused to discuss allegations of corruption in the Secretariat General.
Effectiveness rating
- Standards of living, health & education – 5
- Housing & services – 4
- Policing & regional security – 5
- Good governance & public finance – 4
- Economy & employment – 4
- Supporting constituents & youth – 4
- Rights & freedoms – 3
- Constructive Parliament role – 4
- Public visibility – 4
- Progressive/reformist credentials – 3
Results of 2014 elections – 6th Southern
Areas covered: Northern Riffa, Bukuwarah
Housing blocks: 913, 914, 915, 916, 917, 918, 919, 921, 923
Registered voters: 8,262; Percentage 1st round voter turnout: 84.0%
First round votes:
Anas Buhindi – 2310 (34.7%); Mohammed al-Buainain (Mithaq) – 1040 (15.6%); Ibrahim Fakhro – 943 (14.2%); Nawal al-Dossary – 658 (9.9%); Salah Khalifa – 613 (9.2%); Yousif al-Hamdan – 475; Khalifa al-Dossary – 310; Layla Rajab (Al-Watani al-Hurr) – 179; Abdullah Baqer – 136
Second round vote:
Anas Buhindi – 3676 (62.8%)
Mohammed al-Buainain (Mithaq) – 2178 (37.2%)
Profile of election campaign: Anas Ali Ali Saif Buhindi
Shaikh Anas Buhindi is a prominent local cleric. In the second round Buhindi defeated Mohammed al-Buainain, head of Mithaq. Buhindi told the media that the housing file needed a “complete strategic overhaul” and observed that the legislative and executive bodies should work more effectively together. Buhindi also talked about raising standards of living, fighting corruption and promoting the economy.
Constituency demographic
One of the big stories of the elections was the announcement from Khalifa al-Dhahraini, the head of the previous Parliament that he wouldn’t be standing. Al-Dhahrani’s non-appearance opened up the field for a broad group of untested candidates. This is a safe loyalist seat in an area which has tended to prefer independent candidates.
Know your deputy: Profiles of other Bahrain MPs
Adel al-Asoumi – 1st Capital
Ahmed Qaratah – 2nd Capital
Adel Bin-Hamid Abdulhussain – 3rd Capital
Deputy-Head of Parliamentary Human Rights Committee
Abdulrahman Bumjaid – 4th Capital
Nasser al-Qaseer – 5th Capital
Deputy Head of the Permanent Committee for Financial and Economic Matters
Ali al-Atish – 6th Capital
Osamah al-Khajah – 7th Capital
Shaikh Majid al-Asfour – 8th Capital
Mohammed Jaffar Milad – 9th Capital
Nabil al-Balooshi – 10th Capital
Ali Bufarsan – 1st Muharraq
Head of Committee for Youth and Sports
Ibrahim al-Hammadi – 2nd Muharraq
Jamal Buhassan – 3rd Muharraq
Isa al-Kooheji – 4th Muharraq
Head of the Permanent Committee for Financial and Economic Matters
Mohammed al-Jowder – 5th Muharraq
Abbas al-Madhi – 6th Muharraq
Ali al-Muqla – 7th Muharraq
Abdulrahman Bu-Ali – 8th Muharraq
Fatimah al-Asfour – 1st Northern
Deputy Head of the Committee for Women and Children
Jalal Kadhim al-Mahfoudh – 2nd Northern
Deputy Head of Committee for Youth and Sports
Hamad al-Dossary – 3rd Northern
Ghazi Al Rahmah – 4th Northern
Deputy Head of Permanent Committee for Public Utilities and Environment
Ali al-Aradi – 5th Northern
Deputy Head of Parliament
Rua al-Haiki – 6th Northern
Shaikh Majid al-Majid – 7th Northern
Head of the Permanent Committee for Shari’ah and Legal Matters
Dr. Isa Turki – 8th Northern
Abdulhamid Abdulhussain al-Najjar – 9th Northern
Deputy Head of Committee for Supporting the Palestinian People
Mohammed al-Ammadi – 10th Northern
Head of Committee for Supporting the Palestinian People
Jamal Dawoud – 11th Northern
Head of Permanent Committee for Public Utilities and Environment
Jamila al-Sammak – 12th Northern
Head of the Committee for Women and Children
Khalid al-Shaer – 1st Southern
Head of Parliamentary Human Rights Committee
Mohammed al-Ahmed – 2nd Southern
Abdulhalim Murad – 3rd Southern
Second Deputy Head of Parliament
Mohammed al-Maarifi – 4th Southern
Deputy Head of the Permanent Committee for Services
Khalifa al-Ghanim – 5th Southern
Anas Buhindi – 6th Southern
Deputy Head of the Permanent Committee for Shari’ah and Legal Matters
Abdullah Bin-Huwail – 7th Southern
Head of the Permanent Committee for Foreign, Defence and National Security Affairs
Dhiyab al-Noaimi – 8th Southern
Mohsin al-Bakri – 9th Southern
Ahmed al-Mulla – 10th Southern
Head of Parliament