Bahrain has politically come a long way since King Hamad came to the throne in 1999. His new constitution – the National Action Charter – was popularly approved by more than 98% of Bahrainis. This charter enshrined King Hamad’s vision that Bahrain was to be a Constitutional Monarchy, centred around a two-chamber Parliament.
Over the next 15 years the elected house of Parliament – the Chamber of Deputies – has progressively become a more significant element of the legislative and decision-making process in Bahrain. The 2012 constitutional amendments took this even further. The main effect of these amendments was to significantly increase the powers of elected MPs.
The 2014 parliamentary elections produced significant changes to the composition of Parliament: 75% of those who won seats were new MPs. The majority of seats went to younger, independent figures with a broad range of technocratic experience to offer. This produced a Parliament that was representative and ambitious in its desire for change and reform. Despite an opposition boycott, turnout exceeded 54% and was between 60-90% in over half the constituencies.
According to the 2012 constitutional amendments, the Government policy vision had to be approved by elected MPs. So for the first time, the Prime Minister came to Parliament to submit the draft 2015-2018 Government Action Plan. MPs engaged in intense negotiations with Ministers to ensure inclusion of many of the priorities demanded by their constituents. The resulting revised document was approved by the vast majority of MPs on 3 February 2015.
Bahrain’s commitment to democratization means that elected representatives in Parliament are playing an increasingly central role in legislation and policy-making. However, Bahrain’s mixed system of government ensures that a single political party or power-base cannot turn the clock back on constitutionally-enshrined rights and freedoms.
The most recent round of National Dialogue produced a five-point plan from the Government for election reforms, a rebalance of executive powers and further Parliament reforms. Unfortunately, the opposition chose to walk away from the negotiating table and boycott the November 2014 elections. However, the authorities went ahead and implemented the election boundary reforms and several other proposals anyway.
Bahrain’s leaders have continually emphasized their determination to continue the reform process and maintain Bahrain’s position as one of the most politically progressive states in the region.
Ten reasons why Bahrain is best: Click these links to find out
#1 – Family friendly
#2 – Religious tolerance
#3 – Personal safety
#4 – Cultural hub
#5 – Open economy
#6 – Tourist paradise
#7 – Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
#8 – Dependable ally
#9 – Island nation
#10 – Historic power-centre