Thank you your Majesty! We finally know that (a) the march toward democracy is continuing, which is a relief, and (b) we can finally get rid of the bozos who took the last elections boycotting move by the opposition to slip between the cracks and get themselves a cushy job.
Regarding the boycotting, I’m actually happy that that happened as I tend to look at the previous parliament – in technogeek parlance – as a pre-Alpha version. We now at least know what to expect.
The challenges for those forming the next parliament are of course huge, and as people know now what to expect from this democracy thing, they will be monitored a lot more closely, and they will be held accountable for their brainfarts.
The next parliament should be concerned with re-establishing unity within Bahrain, this sectarian thing is really tiring, and removes the spotlights from the real issues which should be discussed.
As far as I’m concerned, the new parliament should have the following priorities, amongst many I am sure, but here’s my list:
- Constitutional amendments, bring the good points of the 1973 constitutions back into the 2002 document and strengthen the role of parliament in overseeing government and give them the required tools to hold them accountable for their actions.
- Remove all restrictions to freedoms that have been set by the previous parliament. Most important of which is the retooling of the Press and Publications Law 47 of 2002, the Public Assembly Law, and open up the media ownership laws and allow the formation of various publications, radio and television stations without the debilitating hurdles designed in the previous attempts to regulate the media.
- Remove the reservations to the Human Rights documents submitted to the United Nations and change the laws which contradicts that document.
- Fight corruption. Seriously, fight corruption and enact laws to ensure the transparent running of the country
- Fair distribution of wealth. Need I say more?
I’m sure we all can add to this list, so if you have something that you think should be tackled by the next parliament, please list them in a comment, maybe we can create a document that we can actually send to each and every candidate to include in their electioneering campaign and then hold them to their promises.
Comments
Mo –
You’re not walking around the dream palace again, are you ?
“4.Fight corruption. Seriously, fight corruption and enact laws to ensure the transparent running of the country
5.Fair distribution of wealth. Need I say more?”
Not in my lifetime.
“Remove all restrictions to freedoms that have been set by the previous parliament.”
Somehow, I don’t feel that the next parliament will have our ‘freedoms’ in mind either. I think we are going to get extremists again, only different kinds of extremists. Because they belong to different idiologies and have different backgrounds they will have an even more difficult time getting along with each other which will make the parliament function even less smoothly than it does now.
pesimistic I see? well, I’ll look at the bright side, and hope that any new morons would be better than the last lot!
The election promises by Al-Wefaq are encouraging, I just hope that they will actually persue them. For instance, in yesterday’s Al-Wasat, Shaikh Ali Salman in one of the majlises (Al-Asfoor?) promised that cancelling Law 47 of 2002 is one of their top priorities in the new parliament… let’s see if this comes true.
Please pardon my ignorance of Bahraini politics, I have some perhaps stupid questions.
You seem convinced that the current leaders in parliament are going to be kicked out, but is it really such a sure bet? Is there any chance that the people will actually vote them back in or that the leaders or someone else will manipulate the system to ensure that they stay in power?
What sort of parties/blocs/whatever are likely to take control after the elections? Are there any polls on the matter?
Reform is a long process, even if we look at the benefits of telecommunications reform, FDI into major projects such as Durrat, Amwaj, BFH, and Business Bay not to mention lulu island, and adhari park… the benefits (employment and touristic appeal of some of them will only be felt in a year or two….) I agree with Tariq there is a risk of pulls from both sides (extremists) but honestly I think people will slowly move towards the middle, i’m sure some of the knuckle heads will not be back, the majlis’s i’ve been to in Muharraq and Riffa have all talked about how they no longer trusted some of the islamists they voted for 4 years ago…….we need better people, women, and less preachers. This process in any country takes a long time… but to doubt that we have not become more open and transparent in the last 4 years is ludicrious, and to think that with more parties like al wefaq coming in that the Government will not be forced to become more transparent is also crazy. I hope none of them start censoring the net, and that press laws become more lenient and I’m sure they are going to start to allow private radio/tv/tv productions etcc….i mean if you think google earth was good check out municipality.gov.bh and go to discover bahrain its better than google u get multiple layers including addresses, and various other things….
if the elections we’re being given are the ones described in the al bander report, i don’t want anything to do with them.
what is going on? no word at all on the report, and now suddenly its business as usual?
am i the only one whose ears are ringing with alarm?
No Zara, the tension in the island is pervasive and tangible.
I hope the leadership does the right thing, and fast. Half measures simply won’t do.
I told you before BOYCOTT the elections. Even if the Par. will be jam-packed with MPs from Qum or Najaf it won’t be able to change a thing. This Righteous Government of ours only need to buy a few of them and it has the support of the other 40 Shura members. Unless you’re after sanitation and playgrounds..that’s fine. Why are we so naïve and stupid to vote???
I’m sure that people could add more to that wishlist. But I wouldn’t recommend anyone who’s running for elections to simply join ends of such lists and cry that they “Will do everything for everyone”, because it is absolutely impossible and quite stupid.
I think going for an aggregated, specific, set of goals is the best way to go, at least as a promissory wishlist-become-true. Further urgent issues are always going to be tackled and addressed, but there should be a certain number of specific objectives.
The boycott and the bandargate (the BBs??) still roam haunting the electoral field. It is not a good feeling that I’m getting, I must admit. However, boycotting or being so half-hearted about the elections aren’t any better than going for the elections with determination to change and reform.
Perhaps, while not forgetting to look into our elections and setting our agenda’s (which we have been crying for for so many years), we could try moving the public opinoin toward persuading the few good souls in the government to clear the scene of Bandargate-related conspiracies, and soon, before the elections take place.
Ofcourse, I say this because I wouldn’t like to boycott the elections and just sit at home doing nothing at all, only waiting for someone else to take the initiative and once more take control of my life with no gain at all. Things will not correct themselves, you’d have to correct them yourselves.
Boycotting along will not do anyone any good what so ever.
To have a complete picture:
Plotting to overthrow the regime (of Bahrain )
Lord Avebury
The Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group invites you to a meeting with
Dr Salah Al Bandar
11.00 AM, Thursday 5th October 2006
Committee Room 3A, The House of Lords, London SW1A 0AA
For further information please contact: Lord Avebury on 020 7274 4617 Email: ericavebury@gmail.com
Mahmood,
I’m sorry to be raining on your parade, how can you be so optimistic?
how can democracy change things for the better? When average joes, many of whom are so eager to be brainwashed, pick the favourite they are told to pick by their brainwashers, based on criteria such as “women shouldn’t be in power” and “this guy is a good moslem, he prays in the mosque x times a week”, regardless of whether he has an iq over 70 (some of our previous elected representatives come to mind) and regardless of whether he ends up in court for frauding customers, and on and on …
I will never understand how any person (in this case, a large number of voters) could let themselves be so completely led and brainwashed by anyone else..
We need people who have brains, who have vision, who can see the dominoe effects of their decisions, who have morals, who cannot be controlled.. I think you would agree,
however,
how many of those could actually get themselves elected?
which brainwasher would support someone who would not fit in their own agenda?
Until our education system allows and encourages people to think for themselves and have opinions, and stops teaching them “the right answer”, they will always continue to be leadable. They will be prepared to be someone’s flock..they will be brainwashable. and religion is the tool used to rein them in.
this is not a change that happens overnight, nor is it likely to happen by itself..
as I said, I would love to be optimistic, …. but it is sooo hard
No matter how dark it gets, you should expect some light to seep through, and once that happens, diligently work to enlarge the hole to allow more light through. You can’t live you life completely as pessimist. In fact, if you are still in Bahrain then by definition with all the crap flying around that you ARE an optimist, otherwise you would have packed your bags and left a long time ago. There are other countries that will welcome you and you can forget about this little insignificant piece of property.
With that, I do expect that the next parliament will be better than the pre-alpha we have had for 4 years… I look forward to an Alpha version this time, not a huge jump of course, but a jump forward none-the-less. Once we get to a full “commercial release” standard, I’m sure we will look back at this age and trade jokes about it!
it would be really interesting to follow what that Lord Avebury meeting comes out with… will it be streamed live do you know?
it would be really interesting to follow what that Lord Avebury meeting comes out with… will it be streamed live do you know?
———–
work on it Mahmood, host it on this site.
People, lets not turn into drama queens and drama mama’s here! Of course the first parliment was a joke on a three wheeled wagon, thats because the country came out of a 30 year vacuum, where no one was allowed to voice their opinion. Hence, it was extremely hard for public figures to rise through the ranks, and build an alliance. The product: puppets with beards.
The sad thing is through out the last 4 years; since 2002, we have not seen many opinion makers taking a proactive approach towards national issues. I can think of a couple of people like Ibraheem shareef and Ghada Jamsheer, but I don’t know if that wave is strong enough to carry them into parliment.
Tariq Khonji, you’re worried about exchanging one kind of extremists for another. Don’t you think that the first group of extremists acted as obnoxiously as they did because they were paid for it? He who pays the piper controls the tune.
does anybody remember the last elections?
they had a whole bunch of the guys running sitting around in a semi-circle and the presenter was going around the room asking them what their plans were one by one.
the first guy said something like “i wanna solve the unmeployment problem..” or whatever, & the second guy said “I agree with every thing the first guy said and i want to add….whatever” and the third guy said “I want to agree with every thing the other two guys said and i want to add whatever…” & when he got to the end, the last guy said “i agree with everything everyone else said and i want to add.. whatever…” I am not kidding, it was hilarious!
At least this time nobody is going to promise to move the airport so the Muharraqis won’t be disturbed..
fanfare…power to the people…let the fun begin..
I’ll speak with someone who could help in steaming the Lords meeting. Stay toned. otherwise, i am sure it will be recorded and then put online.
regards
Anonymous,
Its quite ironic, don’t you think, that your version of democracy relies on handing the parliament to “MPs from Qum or Najaf”.
How non-sectarian is that??!!!
Deavils Advocate…
I dont think he intended to express his “version” of the parliament, all what he ment is that whether it is Sunni Islamist that were in control of last season’s brainfarts or whether its gonna be Shi3a Islamist that are expect to produce a fair amount of brain farts (am a shi3i btw).. its gonna still lead to a dead end, As the Shura council which is appointment by the “King” *still cant absorb that we have a king and it makes giggle inside :)* has the power to stop any parliament resolution from turning into law 🙂
Hamad..
sorry for the messy reply , just woke up n still in bed.
It will be nice to revampt the judicial system, dumping almust 99% of the existing judges and PPD proscutors for their appalling inaptitude.