Its absurd!

Well done guys! You have done a good job once again by blocking websites.That's the best you could do! Freedom of Press and Expression ( It does not exist) will be governed here after. I spoke with Mahmood who assured me that he will keep updating his blog!Some faces that had crop up earlier have once again showed their true colors. What a shame! I must say to witness something like this and the only thing you can do is sit back but that is not going to happen anymore."The new parliament will bring more democratic experience" Ya rite!

Bahrain Bloggers!Act now!

Campaigning Codes

In each governorate, candidates have been found violating the laws set for the election campaigning.

A meeting was held at the Bahrain Society of Engineers to announce the code of ethics the candidates must follow in their campaigns. According to Jassim Najmi ,President of the Bahrain Transparency Society, “ We have already witnessed dirty tactics being used in canvassing. Someone’s tent is burned while others posters are brought down. Every candidate has a right to promote their agenda and this should be in a peaceful and transparent manner.

Highlighting the code he said, “ We have set a code of ethics which the candidates contesting for both the parliament and municipal have to sign. Our monitors are keeping a vigil on all types of violations in all the five governorates. We will soon release the names of the erring candidates some of whom have set up tents or put up hoardings without the permission of the municipality.”

The meeting was attended by independent candidates as well as those who are backed by political societies. The President of Wa’ad Society Ebrahim Sharif said,” The code of ethics set by the Bahrain Transparency Society is a good move. But there would be candidates who would sign the agreement but will breach the code the next day. This is what needs to be stopped and candidates should adhere the law. There should be an understanding among all the candidates to stick to the code and law. But ‘ absolute adherence’ to the code is not possible.”
Ebrahim further said, “ Independent candidates can mobilize funds through various sources. But what about those who do not have adequate funds for canvassing?” he said.
The head of the election campaigning at Al Wefaq National Islamic Society Jassim Redha said, “ The code will ensure transparency and we will endorse it. The code is largely based on the election laws.”

The code of ethics are-

1) working on honest principles
2) Ensure transparency in the government’s works and societies.
3) Observing the public procedures and policies to ensure the procedures are right.
4) Encouraging organizations to unveil corruption cases.
5) Become a model in actions when I am elected.
6) Work towards Bahrain’s inclusion in the UN agreement to combat corruption and implement the accord.
7) Work towards drafting a financial and property law for all the officials in the government organizations.
8) Ensure the freedom of access of information
9) Work towards amending laws to ensure transparency in elections.

Stop the dirty tactics!

The billboard of Fawzia Zainal contesting from the Central Governorate(District-8) was thrown on the ground in Ma’ameer on Wednesday morning. Fawzia said , “ I was told that the board that we had set up was fallen on the ground. I immediately rushed at the spot and informed the police. It was a preplanned attempt as there were tyre marks near the board and it seems a vehicle was used to drag the board and unscrew the bolts.” She later went to the Sitra police station and filed a case.

Earlier, the tent of Adel al Mouawada contesting from Busaiteen was gutted in a fire and two days later the tent set up by Fawzia was ransacked and the lights broken, allegedly by unidentified miscreants. Both the cases are being investigated by the police officials.
This is the second time Fawzia has been targeted . “ I don’t understand why this is happening to me as I am working hard for the welfare of the people of the kingdom. The media around the world is focusing on the elections and actions like this will depict Bahrain in bad light globally.”

This has not deterred Fawzia as she intends to continue her campaigning and hopes to make it to parliament. “ I have set up the tent again and even the board will be put up in a couple of days. This should send a strong message that women will fight for their rights and they cannot be stopped.” Fawzia said.
Harassment of female candidates began with alleged text messages soon after the nominations for the parliamentary elections were closed. A number of female candidates condemned the harassment.Dr.Huda Al Muttawa contesting from the Muharraq Governorate(District-2) said, “ Actions like this should be stopped as every candidate has the right to promote his or her agenda. No one should stop them. They are misconceptions among many people that women are not qualified to run the country.”

Voters caught on the net

Candidates contesting for the elections are using different means for canvassing from posters, hoardings and now website.

Parliamentary candidate, Dr.Amal Al Jowder contesting from the Central Governorate (District-1) has launched her own interactive website- www.amalj.net to promote her goals and objectives. “ The theme of my website is one country promising better future. I have posted my manifesto and my complete details which can be informative for the voters. The idea of the website was mooted by a volunteer Wasa Al Ansari who insisted that I should launch a website that will educate the voters and enhance communication between the two parties.”

Wasa Al Ansari said,” The optimum use of technology is vital and if used in the canvassing it can be effective. I decided that I would create the website in a month but finished it in fifteen days starting from scratch. Voters can contact Dr.Al Jowder directly by calling them on the numbers displayed or send e-mail or fax. This virtual interaction will boost the chances her of winning.”
Dr. Al Jowder added, “My manifesto will focus on issues like health, better salaries, education among others. I have uploaded my lectures on these issues on the website .It also offers a personality test for entertainment. I will update the website regularly and hope that more and more people visit it.”
Good Move Dr.Al Jowder!

Take Bribe, Pay the Price

The Election committee has warned all the candidates contesting for the elections that they would face severe action in case they try to bribe the voters.

The violators will be presented before the Public Prosecutor. Some of the candidates believe that the similar things were said in the last election but nothing was done. The President of the Wa’ad National Democatic Action Society Ebrahim Sharif said,” In Kuwait , the had announced a similar decision but till date it is now implemented. Many candidates want to win by buying the voters in their constituency. Some resort to book family members and pay them money.”

“ This is not acceptable as it manipulates the election. During the election campaigning candidates would distribute pens, batches or may even arrange for dinner. This is not a bribe but helping in monetary terms to assure one’s victory is a crime.”
The same opinion was expressed by Al Methak Society member Bader Sultan Al Hammadi contesting from Muharraq governorate District -7 says, “No one is above the law and everyone should be treated equally. I believe this is the time when all the candidates should focus on their agenda and work for the welfare of the people.”
Earlier, the Municipality department ordered one of the contestant to remove the tent which he had set up in Bader’s area.

But there are some who have gone one step ahead like an existing MP who claims that he is paying money to the poor and is helping them. “ It is difficult to tell anyone that he/she is doing wrong as they would get away by saying that it is the festive season and they wish to help. One can pay to the charitable associations instead which will actually work for the society. But I feel it is a good move by the election committee to take action against the culprit for buying voters.” Said Dr.Munira Fakhro.

Dr.Fakhro who is representing from Wa’ad also emphasized that reforms in the Municipality is the need for the hour as this will result in giving more power to the Council.

Sandeep Singh Grewal

Don't contest

A couple of female candidates have approached the Supreme Council for Women and filed a case after receiving threatening SMS’s which stated that they lacked the qualification to run the country and hold parliamentary positions.

Dr.Munira Fakhro contesting on behalf of the Wa’ad society said , “ We had to approach to the SCW after these messages were sent to some of the women candidates. There are some conservative scholars who are against women contesting the elections. This is not fair as it is an attempt to weaken the position of women candidates.”

She further said, “ Women are being purposely targeted so that they do not contest. Actions like this show that how tough it is for a women to make her mark in the male chauvinistic society. There are 18 women candidates who are contesting for the parliament and most of them are independent. This can affect their mindset and we need to address this issue and punish the culprit.”

Dr.Munira also urged the Ministry of Justice to intervene and investigate in the matter. “ We have confidence in the SCW which is chaired by Shaikha Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa and actively works for the empowerment of women. The government should take immediate steps to curb this issue. We have no clue who is behind all these messages but there are rival candidates who are involving religious obligations in the matter as well as mixing and manipulating the issue.”


In the last elections, similar attempts were being made to threaten female candidates so that they step down. In the 2002 election, there were about 51% of women electorates compared with 49% of men while the second round of voting witnessed a 55% turn out. Considering the fact that there are more women voters than men in the kingdom, this new wave of messages has upset many women candidates. Lateefa Al Qaoud who created history by becoming the first women MP should be an example for the women candidates who have to fight it out and make it the parliament.

NGO's to monitor poll process

About two- hundred people would be monitoring the forthcoming elections. Official NGO’s have been allowed to supervise the parliamentary and municipal elections with cooperation from the Supreme Election Committee.

The Bahrain Human Rights Society and the Bahrain Transparency society are the two NGO’s that are authorized to monitor the election. The Deputy Secretary General of the BHRS Abdulla AlDerazi said, “ The Ministry of Social development had earlier banned the participation of NGO’s to supervise the elections. The ministry wanted to form a committee by selecting from the local societies. We did not support the decision as by allowing the government body to select representatives could weaken the task of the committee."
“An official statement by the election committee highlighted that political societies would be excluded from the monitoring process. This was done, as they could be bias to their candidates. We had started our preparations for monitoring the elections since February and have held three workshops for representatives from the societies. The monitors are taught about the supervising process, the code of conduct at the time of vote counting."

Non-Bahrainis cannot monitor the actual voting, which locals would be permitted if given permission by the election commission to supervise the elections. “ We are still in talks with the authority to review this decision as it would be more transparent for an independent foreign body to supervise the elections. For example, the Arab Election Monitoring Network in Amman has expressed their willingness to monitor the parliament and municipal elections. We are preparing a report in coordination with the Bahrain Transparency Society that will give a clear picture of the elections."

This year the Ministry of Justice has been asked to supervise the elections. “It is going to be a tough competition and we will try our best to ensure that the campaigning ends peacefully.” Alderazi said.

The Battle Begins

The registration of the candidates for the parliament elections ended yesterday. The stage is now set and 221 candidates have to fight it out for 40 seats in the House.

There was a low turnout as the candidate had filed their papers during the first four days of registration at the centres allocated in the five governorate respectively. But the parliament Chairman Khalifa al Dhahrani created a stir in the political scene as he filed his paper in the Central Governorate yesterday night. Al Dhahrani was accompanied with deputies as he entered the registration centre to file his paper. Earlier, there were reports in newspapers stating that Al Dhahrani would not contest from his constituency, as he would like to give others a chance. But things changed as the parliamentarian filed his papers and was confident of his victory.

In the Southern governorate, Mohammed Abbas Mohammed Sultan had to face disappointment after the officers at the centre rejected his papers. “Apparently, Mohammed’s paper was rejected on the grounds that he is not 30 at the time of the nomination which is one of the stipulation that the candidate has to fulfill. In his case, he was 29 years-old and would turn thirty next month which is not acceptable according to the rules.” said the officer at the Southern governorate.


Meanwhile, the president of Al Asala Islamic Society MP Ghanem al Buainan running from Muharraq governorate District- 8( Hidd) looked confident of winning his seat in the constituency. Al Buainan has a strong following in his area. There were a few latecomers who came at the last moment to file their papers but overall it seems that the countdown has began and now the next thing to look forward is the election campaigns and the strategies the candidates are going to resort to.

Wa'ad ready to contest

The president of the largest liberal party- Wa’ad National Democratic Action Society (NDAS), Ebrahim Sharif Alsayed believes that if they make it to the parliament they would deal with issues like land reclamation, oil depletion, housing problem and increasing the minimum wage of an individual.
A total of nine candidates would be contesting for the forthcoming elections from the society. Out of this six would contest for the parliament and three for the municipal election. The party believes in improving the status of women in the society.

“There should be quota system implemented where 10-15 per cent of the seats must be reserved for women candidates in the Municipal and the Parliament. This will help in creating leadership among the women and they will be treated at par with men. In our society, 20 percent of the leaders are women and by reserving seats for them it will boost their confidence.”
Ebrahim also praised Dr.Munira Fakroo who is a popular candidate among the women to contest for the elections. “ She is a very strong and seasoned lady who has witnessed the political scene in the kingdom and we will continue to support her. In addition to Dr.Munira, there will be one more women candidate that the society has chosen to contest for the elections."
The minimum wage fixed by the government for an individual is BD 200 but according to Ebrahim it needs to be increased. “About thirty-three thousand people are not able to earn the minimum wage. We would like to increase the minimum wage to BD 350, which is adequate for a family of five. Efforts will be made to improve the standard of living of the people and create better job opportunities with cooperation between the private and public sector.” He also stressed the bank statement, assets and property details of the people in power be made available to the press and public.


According to Ebrahim, natural resources like oil is depleting at an increasing rate and it needs to be tackled effectively. “The average share of oil a Bahraini citizen gets is 136 barrel per person and by 2020 the number will be reduced to a mere 50 barrel per person. There are mistakes that have occured in the decision making of these industries. The government owned industries are running in loss and this is drastically affecting our economy. The legal jurisdiction power of monitoring the entire matter is not done any more.”

It’s not only the oil that is depleting, but the reclamation of the land is done at a rapid pace. “ In 2004, eight and a half kilometer of land was reclaimed out of which five and a half kilometer was from Muharraq. The estimated value of the reclaimed land was about 600 million dollar and this was in the process leased out to the private sector. This can be stopped if there is transparency in land ownership.”
The dots are getting connected as the scarcity of land according to Ebrahim, in the last 40 years about seventy kilometers of land is reclaimed and still there is a problem of housing in the kingdom.” The number of applications of citizens waiting for housing in the beginning of 2002 was 32,000. The application stands close to 43,000 at the commencement of this year. The reason for the increase is because of naturalization as more families are added and housing is one of their main demands.


Most of the key players of the election are focusing on the naturalisation issue and the NDAS also has it in their agenda, “The government has added 5 per cent of naturalised people in the population. The natural growth of Bahrain will yield 26,000 additional voters combining it with another 10,000 who are added by reducing the voting age from 21 to 20. The total amounts to 36,000 and the number in the voter’s block are 52,000.There is a substantial increase of 16,000 naturalised individuals who will manipulate the elections.”

The Society president believes that the parliament has limited power and if their candidates get elected they would make a sea change of difference. They would encourage the role of community and tackle issue like subsidizing houses, equality of income, implementation of the taxation system and promote the spirit of national unity between the Sunni and Shiites in Bahrain.

Vision to lead

The general secretary of Al-Wefaq Islamic Society, Shaikh Ali Salman comes across as an incisive politician who has a clear political agenda and a respect for law and human rights. In an exclusive interview Shaikh Salman discusses his thoughts and visions for the forthcoming municipal and parliament elections.

The Al –Wefaq Islamic Society along with other societies had boycotted the 2002 elections and has now emerged as a strong party with the leadership of Shaikh Ali Salman. A rally was organized last week on the alleged political naturalization and many supporters of Shaikh Salman participated in the rally.
“There are many people who have been naturalised and this will manipulate the election. They should not be given a right to vote. According to the 1963 law, Article-6, an individual must have lived in the country for 10 years and can vote only10 years after that. But now individual are naturalized and they will vote with effect from this election.”
According to Shaikh Salman, in some districts in Bahrain there are more naturalised people than others and this will affect the outcome of the result in the particular area.


Speaking about the Al-Bandar report that has created quite a stir in the political scenario he said,” The report comes as an eye-opener for all the citizens of Bahrain. We cannot say it is false as the names listed in the report are of top officials. There should be an independent committee that should probe into the matter. In fact, Bandar should be given chance to justify the report that has exposed that there is a group outside and inside the country that aims to harm the interest of the country. All the persons whose names have appeared in the report should not contest for the elections till they are cleared of the charges.”

The decision not to implement the e-voting system in the coming elections was welcomed by the leader who said,” There was huge amount of money and manpower spent to introduce e-voting. It is beneficial in Western countries where the population is huge compared to Bahrain where it is just under a million. For example, in the northern governate there are about 13,000 voters and one can get the result in a couple of hours.”

Citing the example of Eqypt, the leader urged an independent foreign body to monitor the elections like in Egypt so that there would be transparency. “ The new council that the citizens will elect will deal with issues like housing, unemployment and corruption in the Kingdom.” Shaikh Salman also emphasized that a trust and cooperation needs to be established between the people, government and the political societies.

Strategic Alliance

The president of Al Asala Islamic Society, MP Ghanem Fadhel Al Buainan comes across as an astute politician who believes that his bloc will show exemplary results in the forthcoming elections.

The society has fielded six candidates and plan to win five seats in the elections. “ We chose our candidates after thorough assessment by the central committee. There were many applications that were received but the committee chooses the best and qualified candidate who could work in the parliament. The central committee finalized nine candidates out of which the bloc chosen six."

Apart from fielding six candidates, Al Asala will support eight contestants from Al Menbar National Islamic Society. “ Both the parties have decided to support each other and will sign a memorandum of understanding next week. This is the first time that two powerful societies have decided to support each other in the elections. In 2002,we had plans to work together but things did not work out. This year from a political point of view, the alliance will make us the strongest Sunni group in the kingdom and achieve national goals.”

Al Asala society candidates: MP Ghanem Fahel Al Buaiain( Muharraq constituency -8 ( Hidd), MP Shaikh Adel Al Moawada ( Muharraq constituency-1), MP Hamad Khalil Al Muhannadi ( Southern Constituency-2), Shaikh Isa Hijazi( Central Constituency-7) , Ebrahim Busandal( Muharraq constituency-2) and Rashid Abdulrehman contesting from Hala.
Al-Asala and Al Menbar society have decided an electoral adjustment in the Hala area. “ This is one constituency where there will be stiff competition between the candidates of both the societies. They are popular in the area and the voters will decide their fate like any other contestant. We had selected areas in Isa Town and Arad but both the blocs negotiated on the issue and decided to choose Hala as the ground for the battle.” Said Al Buainan.

The leader also believes that he has learned about various acts or laws of the Kingdom. “ We will not repeat the same mistakes that have happened in the last parliament. We passed 20- 30 per cent of issues that were laid on the table. We will not waste the time of the council and will focus directly on main issues like housing, retirement schemes and combining the Pension fund and Gosi into a single body.”
The proposal to unite both the bodies was sent by the parliament in the summer session and the government considered the issue. Accordingly, January 2007 was the date set for the merger of the Pension fund and Gosi.” The government had approved the venture but would only monitor the administration matter. If the government approves the proposal by the parliament the total of the joint venture would yield in a total of 2000 million dinar combining fixed assets and capital.”

The housing problem is also one of the issues that the MP plans to raise in the newly elected parliament. “ In 2002, there were 40,000 applications for allocating housing units and our yearly prediction was 4000 every year which makes a total of about 56,000 applicants. But the issue is critical as there is an increase of about 8000 individuals in the application. We decided that every individual who is in the waiting list for five years should be given BD 100. The housing budget till 2005 did not exceed 35 million dinar per year but in 2005-2006 we approved 200 million dinar for the housing projects.”

When asked about the plans of the society for the election campaign, Al Buainan said, “ In my opinion, every candidate should keep a budget of BD 15,000 meant for campaigning. The most effective tool in canvassing is door-to-door approach that I would be adopting this year. One gets instant feedback that is important for us. There are forty female volunteers working in my constituency who have already started distributing pamphlets and questionnaires in Hidd from block 102- 112 in Muharraq.

The Al-Wefaq national Islamic society is the strongest opposition party in the kingdom and Al buanin believes that the society’s decision to contest for the elections would enrich the democratic experience and the new council will have MP’s with new ides and vision to work for the welfare for the people of Bahrain and promote national unity.” he said.

Voice of a common man

There are thirty women candidates expected who would be fighting for the elections and eighty percent of them would contest for the parliament. The Wa’ad National Democartic Action Society and the National Unity bloc are the only two societies that have backed women candidates- Dr.Munira Fakhro and Shahzaleen Khamees.

Both the candidates filed their papers on the first day of their registration and looked relaxed and confident. Tribune had earlier spoken with Shahzaleen Khamees at the time of the announcement of the candidate list of the National Unity Bloc.
Creating a link between education and employment, working for better retirement funds and housing are the issues that Dr.Munira Fakhro will focus if she makes it to the parliament.

The women candidate from the Wa’ad National Democratic Action Society has a strong following among the womenfolk in Isa Town District-4 where she would be contesting. “ I am in the final process of reviewing my election agenda that will focus on issues like education, health, constitutional reforms, corruption and housing. One of the main problems in my constituency is housing, as there are many families who are waiting to be allocated housing units by the government. There is no shortage of houses in the kingdom, it is only the administration work that needs to speed up and the citizens do not have to wait for years. Another area that I would be emphasizing on is the budget. The budget should be monitored and we would like to scrutinize every item so that there is transparency in the allocation of funds for education, health services etc.”

According to the figures of the employment exchange in Bahrain about 13,000 are registered and out of then 75 percent are women. “ If I make it to the parliament, I would be in the committee for education and would work for unemployment. Education needs to be amended according to the needs of the labour market and this would result in creating better job opportunities. “

The politician also expressed her concern on political naturalization and said that she did not support the recent decision that naturalized people can vote in the elections. “ This is a violation of the 1963 naturalisation law which says that any person naturalized can vote only after the completion of ten years which does not hold true this year. The executive powers have a control in the judicial system and there should be freedom of press and expression in the kingdom that we would work. This was witnessed recently when the local press was stopped from publishing anything about a report that created a stir in the political scene in the kingdom. “

Speaking about the family law, Dr.Fakhro said, “I have been working to implement a family law in the kingdom that will not discriminate women. It was a simple issue that was discussed in the parliament but turned into a political issue. We were thousand demonstrators facing 14,000 Shia leaders. The clergy Shia leaders opposed the proposed law and we are still fighting for a family law to be implemented in the kingdom. We also had to fight it out for the property ownership law that protects the interest of women. In case, a women is a widow or her husband throws her out she has a right to own the property of her husband according to this law. There should be more laws be introduced that will help protect women rights and will make them secure about the future.
When asked about the challenges faced, the candidate from Wa’ad replied,” There needs to be reforms in the women rights to make them aware of their role in the society. Arab women around the world have to fight for their rights and prove themselves to the world. In schools or universities, women perform better than men and are still underrated. This attitude will change in the coming years as a revolution is slowly developing in the Middle East that is being witnessed by many who will gradually change their outlook toward women.”

Earlier, the general secretary of the Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society Sheikh Ali Salman said in a press conference that their party would support Dr. Fakhro. “ I welcome the decision from our friends and will work together for the welfare of the people. This time the new parliament will have new faces and will work for bringing democracy in the House ”