Archive | February, 2011

Opposition’s Conditions for National Dialogue

Here’s a list I received detailing the opposition’s requirements to enter the national dialogue called for by the Crown Prince. I cannot vouch for them as I cannot get independent confirmation, but they look genuine and represent them here for their informational value, and hope that we can start this dialogue here too:

أهداف ثورة الغضب لشعب البحرين
التأكيد على تحقيق المطالب الشعبية:

١. إقالة الحكومة وتشكيل حكومة منتخبة من الشعب

٢. إلغاء دستور ٢٠٠٢ وكل القوانين الصادرة بمراسيم

٣. تشكيل هيئة وطنية منتخبة من عشرة أفراد ينتخبهم الشعب لوضع دستور جديد على أن تلغى فيه جميع صلاحيات الملك ليكون رمزاً للبلاد فقط وتكون السلطة التشريعية والرقابية كاملة في يد المجلس المنتخب (البرلمان).

٤. تغيير قانون الانتخابات وينتخب الشعب جميع أعضاء البرلمان على ان يمثل التشكيل الوزاري ٢٥٪ من أعضاء البرلمان

٥. إلغاء جميع الهيئات والمجالس ومنع العمل بها وتكون جميع الأجهزة التنفيذية خاضعة للحكومة المنتخبة

٦. إصلاحات شاملة للجهاز القضائي وإعادة تشكيل المجاس الأعلى للقضاء من قضاة ومحامون ينتخبهم الشعب

٧. إلغاء صلاحيات جميع المجنسين من الدخول في العملية الانتخابية او الترشح للانتخابات حتى إيجاد قانون منظم التجنيس والجنسية البحرينية

٨. يمنع دخول الجيش في العملية الانتخابية

٩. محاسبة جميع الفاسدين امام محاكمة علنية ومحاكمة الطائفيين وإعادة فتح ملف البندر ومنع أية صلاحيات للقضاء او النيابة العامة لمنع النشر في أية قضية تختص بالرأي العام

١٠. إعادة الأراضي المنهوبة والسواحل وتأميم مشاريع المدن مثل جزر أمواج والزلمة والرفاع فيوز لتكون ضمن صلاحيات وزارة الإسكان وتوزيع الثروات توزيعاً عادلاً على الشعب

١١. إحلال البحرينيين في الوظائف التي يعمل بها الأجانب وخصوصاً في وزارتي الداخلية والدفاع بدون تمييز طائفي

١٢. إقالة جميع رؤساء الهيئات والمؤسسات والدواوين الحكومية أثناء إقالة الحكومة

١٣. محاسبة جميع المفسدين قبل ٢٠٠٢

١٤. تعويض عوائل الشهداء تعويضاً عادلاً وجميع المتضررين خلال العشرين عاماً الماضية

من أجل الدخول في الحوار يجب تنفيذ ما لا يقل عن ٤ مطالب من المطالب الشعبية المذكورة

Objectives of the Revolution of Anger of the people of Bahrain

Emphasis on the achievement of popular demands:

1. Dismissal of the government and the formation of a government elected by the people

2. Cancellation of the 2002 Constitution and all laws passed by decree

3. The formation of a national body of ten elected members by the people to formulate a new constitution that abolishes all the king’s powers and that he be a symbol of the country and that legislative and regulatory powers are fully in the hands of an elected council (parliament).

4. Amend the electoral law so that the people elect all members of Parliament in which the cabinet ministers will be selected from 25% of the members of parliament

5. Cancellation of all boards and councils immediately and ensure that all executive agencies are subject to the elected govenrment

6. Comprehensive reforms of the judiciary and the restructuring of the Supreme Judicial Council which shall be constituted of judges and lawyers elected by the people

7. Abolition of the powers of all naturalized citizens to prevent them from participation in the electoral process or to stand for election until a law regulating naturalization and the Bahraini nationality is promulgated

8. Prevent the army from participating in the electoral process

9. Ensure that all corrupt persons stand public trials, as should those practicing sectarianism and re-open the Bandergate file and prevent any judicial and public prosecution powers of issuing any gag orders relating to any case concerned with public opinion

10. The return of all looted lands and coasts and the nationalization of real estate projects such as Amwaj Islands and Alzalamah and Riffa Views to be within the purview of the Ministry of Housing to equitably distribute the wealth to the citizens

11. Instating Bahraini citizens in jobs which are currently occupied by foreigners, especially those in the ministries of interior and defense without any sectarian discrimination

12. Dismissal of all heads of agencies, boards and institutions at the same time as dissolving the cabinet

13. Bring to account all those who practiced corrupt practices before 2002

14. Fairly compensate the families of martyrs and all those affected during the past twenty years

To engage in national dialogue, a minimum of four of these popular demands must implemented.

Do you think these demands reasonable? Especially the precondition to enter the national dialogue only when a minimum of four demands are met?

Bahrain’s, conducive to doing business?

The Bahrain Investors Centre in Seef Mall, the out-dated model for doing business.

Got to get this off my chest. I want to start a new company specialising in offering web solutions. No big deal, I hear you say, and you’re right and am in total agreement with you, as this particular activity is prevalent and school kids of all ages are very capable of offering such service and some have even made a goodly amount of money for their minimal trouble.

Alas, this is not the idea with our illustrious Bahraini government. To them, if one wants to create websites, one needs to have a bachelor’s degree (I presume in a related field) first. And they won’t even allow the investor to circumvent that by ensuring that whomever he hires are at the required level.

As my qualifications falls short of that mark; me merely qualified as a maintenance engineer on aircraft like Boeing and Airbus jetliners, in addition to being a qualified commercial pilot with multi-engine and instruments rating, I’ve been sent packing by the Bahrain Investors Centre.

I guess I can apply for a Samboosa shop license now and offer web services through it.

Talk about business friendly Bahrain. Ludicrous.

A day of mourning.

Today, Friday 25 Feb 2011, has been declared by both the state and the opposition parties as a national day of mourning to remember the seven martyrs who were killed by the riot police and the army, in separate incidents, at or near the Pearl Roundabout in central Manama.

Courtesy of Al-Hussaini Art Society, painted at the Pearl Roundabout

The latest to enter the Bahraini Pantheon of Martyrs are:

  1. Ali Abdulhadi Mushaimi
  2. Fadhel Ali Salman Almatrouk
  3. Mahmood Maki Abu-Jassim
  4. Ali Mansour Ahmed
  5. Ali Ahmed Abdulla
  6. Isa Abdulnabi Ali
  7. Redha Buhmaid

I know that there are at least two still in critical condition in hospital at the moment.

Let us just pause for a little while and thank them for their sacrifice. And hope that their spilt blood will not go without changing this country for the better for every single person on these islands. They died fighting to allow us to live with the most basic of human rights; to live with dignity. With respect for human, political and economic rights. For a bilateral constitution which defines the relationship between the government and the people. For equal opportunities. For transparency. And for the eradication of corruption.

I salute them and all those who have gone before them.

May they rest in peace, and may this country and its people never forget them. I hope that their names be solidly etched on the Pearl at the spiritual centre of the protests so that we never forget.

Comparisons

Comparisons from the NY Times in the upper image, Al-Fateh mosque also inserted for comparison's sake

I don’t want to start a “numbers war”, but just for my interest, I got this image from the New York Times which was attempting to compare between the route taken by the opposition protest yesterday which filled the whole length of the highway from Bahrain Mall to the Pearl Roundabout with Tahrir Square in Cairo. I took it a step further and go the Al-Fateh Mosque’s in there as well to complete the comparison.

I joked in a tweet yesterday that the people at the protest must’ve been 4,692,166. And it appears to be right, ratio wise which has been broadcast about the numbers in Al-Fateh!

Regardless, I’m glad that the whole of Bahrain now are becoming engaged in politics. Maybe something good will come out of this engagement.