Parliament and loss of ethics

It’s going to be on Saturday 23rd October, 2010, HM the King has decreed. So, expect the race to parliament to start in earnest now.

Here’s the first to bolt out of the door:

الظهراني يعلن إعادة ترشحه للانتخابات النيابية 2010

أعلن رئيس مجلس النواب خليفة الظهراني إعادة ترشحه للانتخابات النيابية المقبلة للفصل التشريعي الثالث. وقال الظهراني في بيان صادر عن المجلس أمس إن رغبته في إعادة الترشح «تأتي بناء على طلب الكثير من النواب والمهتمين، وكذلك رغبة المواطنين وأهالي الدائرة التاسعة بالمحافظة الوسطى، وامتداداً للخبرة البرلمانية التي يمتلكها، حيث تم اختياره رئيسا لمجلس النواب طوال الفصلين التشريعيين السابقين، فضلا عن كونه أحد أعضاء المجلس الوطني السابق 1973 ومجلس الشورى 1992-2002م». وأضاف بيان المجلس «كما يأتي إعلانه في إعادة الترشح، رغبة منه في خدمة الوطن والمواطنين والعمل يداً بيد مع الحكومة لتحقيق كل ما فيه مصلحة وخير المملكة ونهضتها تجسيدا للرؤية الإصلاحية لجلالة الملك».

Al-Wasat Newspaper – 9 Aug 2010

Al-Dhahrani declares his candidature for the 2010 elections

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Khalifa Al-Dhahrani announced his candidature for parliamentary’s third term. Al-Dhahrani said in a statement issued by the Council yesterday his intention to re-nominate himself “due to the demands of many members of parliament and other interested parties as well as the demands of citizens and the Central Governate’s 9th district constituents due to his parliamentary expertise as he was elected Speaker for the first two terms of parliament, apart from his being a member of the 1973 parliament and a member of the appointed Shura Council between 1992 – 2002. The statement add that “the announcement of his running once again was due to his desire to serve his country and countrymen and to work hand-in-hand with the government to achieve all that is good for the country and its development as envisaged by the reforming vision of His Majesty the King.

In that case, why is he using Parliamentary mechanisms, time and resources to aid in his own election campaign? To all intents and purposes as the 2nd Parliamentary term has ended and a new election date has been set by the King, then he’s out of a job. He is no longer a Speaker or anything to do with Parliament I think, so why is he even allowed to release a statement from Parliament? Isn’t this a complete and glaring case of mis-use of parliamentary power?

It’s obvious he’s totally in love with that job now, considering that last time he acted as a demure damsel in distress, refusing to stand for re-election in 2006 initially only to renege on that position when patted on the head a few times and making a dramatic entrance.

I think based on this mis-use of power alone he should be booted out of the door never to be allowed back in again. Don’t you?

Isn’t there any election committee to slap him silly for doing this and fire the guy in Parliament who allowed his office to be used unconstitutionally?

My suspicion is that this is not going to be an isolated incident in this election season. It’s now feeling like some MPs have got used to the idea that Parliament is nothing more than their own personal shop and piggy bank to do with what they want without regard to constitutionality or even basic ethics.