Bahrain: Parliament's weekly meeting had to be cut short yesterday as MPs escalated their protest against the increase in fuel prices announced last week.
Members refused to enter the chamber but instead stood outside the doors looking in.
It was the second week in a row that parliament had to suspend its original schedule after last week’s session also had to be cancelled and replaced with an open debate on the
petrol price rise.
Parliament chairman Ahmed Al Mulla was forced to suspend yesterday’s session for half an hour from its start at 9.30am, in the absence of the required quorum of 21 MPs.
Along with the MPs already present, he waited in the VIP Lounge before a number of MPs showed up for a closed-door meeting.
MPs could be seen in heated debates and loud screams and shouts were heard outside as MP Mohammed Millad watched laughing.
A journalist who took a video from outside the lounge saw parliament public utilities and environment affairs committee chairman Adel Al Asoomi rushing outside to snatch her phone and shouting at her that the meeting was being held in secrecy for a reason.
The meeting, which lasted 90 minutes, ended with Mr Al Mulla emerging from the lounge with first vice-chairman Ali Al Aradi hand in hand.
Ten MPs followed and took their seats in the chamber.
Mr Al Mulla waited in silence for 15 minutes as several MPs watched him from the outside, shaking their heads. Ultimately, he called an end to the session.
Meanwhile, a special parliamentary committee started work yesterday on studying a proposal to question Energy Minister Dr Abdulhussain Mirza and Finance Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa over the petrol price rise.
The three-member panel is chaired by services committee chairman Abbas Al Madi and includes financial and economic affairs committee vice-chairman Jalal Kadhem and public utilities and environment affairs committee vice-chairman Mohsin Al Bakri.
The committee is tasked with recommending whether the ministers should be quizzed, before a vote on the issue is taken next week, which requires a two-thirds majority (27 MPs) for it to go ahead.
“There are two groups – one that is content in questioning the ministers and the other that wants to suspend the sessions until the ministers are quizzed,” said Mr Al Madi.
“MPs want the government to realise that they are not puppets and should have a say in what should be done to tackle the financial crisis.”
Legislative and legal affairs committee chairman Ali Al Ateesh, who decided to remain outside, said MPs will return to next week’s session to vote on questioning the ministers.
“The panel will decide in the next few days and we will be there to vote,” he said.
“Some MPs have said that they will vote against the move to question the ministers if we refused to enter the chamber as asked by Mr Al Mulla. It is up to them but we will
have the proposal to question the ministers passed.”
Information, Parliament and Shura Affairs Minister Isa Al Hammadi told the GDN that the government will continue to co-operate and show up according to schedule.
“We had Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed Al Zayani and Health Minister Faeqa Al Saleh show up and waste two hours of their valuable time waiting for the second week running, based on the set schedule,” he said.
“The two ministers and all officials were asked to wait. We have nothing to do with the MPs’ decision to not enter the chamber; we are here to serve the people and will not leave until the session ends.”
Mr Al Hammadi said on Monday, after the weekly Cabinet session, that the government is willing to co-operate with MPs if they push ahead with plans to question the two government ministers.
The fuel price rise was announced after last week’s Cabinet meeting, just 10 hours before it came into effect last Tuesday, prompting lengthy queues at petrol stations across
the country.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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