MPs yesterday approved a draft law that would overhaul the voting system used in Bahrain Chamber elections.
The bill seeks to replace the current capital-weighted voting table, introduced under the 2020 amendment to Decree-Law 48/2012, with a new structure that significantly reduces the gap in voting power between small and large companies.
Under the draft law, which will be now reviewed by the Shura Council, the existing eight-tier voting table would be abolished and replaced with the 15-tier structure that assigns between one and 15 votes based on declared capital.
The biggest change reduces large corporate blocs’ voting leverage and lowers the threshold required for small companies to participate.
Industry and Commerce Minister Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro was present during the debate.
Parliament also unanimously approved the following five proposals and referred them to the Cabinet for review:
n To extend maternity leave for additional periods under fair regulations that serve the interests of both the family and the employer.
n To introduce a special entrepreneurship programme in the fields of accounting, bookkeeping and auditing by the Labour Fund ‘Tamkeen’.
n To build a sports hall at Sanabis Primary School for Boys.
n To cancel the salary cap applied to alternative options for old housing applications.
n To exempt divorced and widowed women who are custodians of their children from electricity and water bills during the summer months, from June to September, of each year.
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