Taboos breaking down

in time for next year’s elections that is.. but I don’t care, we should have had MPs calling for the following from day one, but they’re starting now, maybe “saving themselves” all those years for this final push to deliver. No problem, I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Have a look at this and judge for yourself:

MPs lashed out yesterday at those in Bahrain who are trying to destroy our freedom of choice. A row flared at parliament’s weekly session when tour-ism restrictions were discussed.

MP Abbas Hassan accused other parliamentarians of trying to ruin tourism and investment rather than encouraging it.

“There is no such thing as clean tourism. Tourism is tourism,” he said.

“Tell me about the amazing beaches, archaeological sites and markets we have or the wonderful weather that makes one want to walk around the country enjoying its beauty.

“We have mosques and bars, and people know where to go. The tourists should feel free to decide and we can’t force our way on them.

“Take Malaysia, for example, which is an Islamic country where everything is available from mosques to nightclubs. It is up to people to make the choice which place they want to visit.”

In another debate, officials were accused of scaring off investors. First vice-chairman Abdulhadi Marhoon claimed that major companies, who were keen to invest in Bahrain have decided to go elsewhere, after being blackmailed by senior officials for major shares in their investments.

“Arab Radio and Television (ART), Four Seasons Hotels chain, the Saudi German Hospital and Al Arabiya channel have decided to leave after first announcing they were coming to Bahrain.

“They stressed that Bahrain was imposing a lot on them, which they can’t bear or accept,” he said.

“An aircraft maintenance and service company, a refinery and two stainless steel companies have also decided to withdraw and their reason was the same as others, they want too many shares from us.”

Industry and Commerce Minister said that the refinery was with another minister.

“There are more than two applications for steel companies, but we had to refuse some because we don’t have enough gas to accommodate them all,” he said. “The rest I have no knowledge about.”
GDN

I’ve not heard of Abbas Hassan before, have you? Ah, that would be Abbas Salman, even so, what has he been in before? Can you remember? Well I do, in all previous sessions he was asleep. The last one for instance he only tabled 3 Suggestions and didn’t bother to ask any minister any question, thus abrogating his oversight responsibilities to the mouse that sleeps under his desk. But hey, at least the mouse has generated a lion now, defending our freedom of choice no less.

Again, gift horses and mouths. Thank you Abbas. Keep it up, in the little time you have left in parliament anyway. Might as well go out with a bang.

And what the heck is that guy Marhoon on this time? No one should talk of things he’s bringing out to the surface now! We all know them and of them, these “matters” have been the gossip for tens of years with nary an MP, journalist or common man daring to repeat this gossip out loud, now this guy is stirring the pot. But good!

If companies such as the ones he mentions above have been chased out in the last year, how many elected to go elsewhere in the last 30 or 50 years then?

Should these things not be discussed then? Of course not. Discuss them all you want, but what result will that bring us? Will the perpetrators of this blackmail ever be brought to justice?

Hah! Sleep on.