The Shura Council yesterday provisionally approved a proposal to lower the voting age in Bahrain to 18 from the current 20, before referring it to the legislative and legal affairs committee for review.
It will be later brought up in the chamber for a debate and vote. If approved, it will be referred to the government to draft as a proper legislation within a maximum of six months.
The related laws will then be referred to Parliament and the Shura Council for a review and vote.
Both the chamber of the National Assembly will be on a five-month recess, from May to October 2025.
The proposal is spearheaded by five members of the Shura Council, led by legislative and legal affairs committee chairwoman Dalal Al Zayed, and the measure could be implemented in the parliamentary and municipal elections in 2026.
The Shura Council members, advocating for changes to the 2002 Political Rights Law and the 2002 Municipal Councils’ Elections Law, argue that expanding the voting base would enhance the representation of Bahrain’s youth.
Besides Parliament, the proposed changes will affect elections to the three elected municipal councils in the Northern, Southern and Muharraq Governorates. The Capital Trustees Board is an appointed municipal council which replaced the elected Manama Municipal Council in 2014.
In 2006 the Shura Council had proposed lowering the voting age from 21 to 20, which was approved by Parliament and ratified by His Majesty King Hamad.
During its weekly session yesterday, the Shura Council was set to debate and vote on proposed new rules aimed at ensuring peace and quiet in areas hit by loud construction work.
However, it was postponed following lengthy discussions on the new timeshare law.
Shura members yesterday referred for review amendments to the 2012 Consumer Protection Law to penalise bombarding people with unwanted marketing material.
Also approved for review are:
A proposal to amend the 2012 Child Law that would see people opening nurseries or kindergartens without permission being punished with jail time of up to three years, a fine of between BD200 and BD1,000, or both.
A proposal to omit Article 14 from the 1987 Commerce Law that requires an expat woman to have her husband’s permission before being allowed to start a business in Bahrain.
A proposal to amend the 1996 Civil and Commercial Evidence Law that would require written evidence for any claim beyond BD1,000 with witness testimony being unacceptable.
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