A draft law aimed at overhauling the voting system used in the Bahrain Chamber elections has been temporarily put on hold following the government’s request for more time to address legislators’ queries.
It came after Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Minister Ghanim Al Buainain asked the Shura Council to return the bill to its financial and economic affairs committee for further study.
“There were questions from members seeking clarification on the proposed voting mechanism,” Mr Al Buainain told the council during its session yesterday. “However, due to the heavy workload related to financial reforms in recent weeks, the research on this matter started late.”
He added that Industry and Commerce Minister Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro was ready to provide detailed explanations.
“The minister has the answers and the willingness to respond to any additional questions in order to reach a shared understanding,” Mr Al Buainain said, formally requesting a two-week extension on behalf of the ministry.
The Shura Council subsequently voted to return the committee’s report for further review for two weeks.
The GDN reported last week that Bahrain Chamber’s 31st board elections will be held on March 28.
The draft law, approved by MPs in November, proposes replacing the current capital-weighted voting system – introduced under a 2020 amendment – with a more balanced and graduated structure.
Under the proposed changes, the existing eight-tier voting table – which grants disproportionately higher voting power to large-capital firms – would be abolished and replaced with a 15-tier system. The new structure would allocate between one and 15 votes per member based on declared capital.
Shura Council’s financial and economic affairs committee chairman Khalid Al Maskati said the amendment was designed to enhance fairness, transparency and broad-based participation within the chamber.
“The committee believes the proposed amendment restores balance to the electoral process by ensuring fairer representation for all members, regardless of company size,” Mr Al Maskati said.
“The chamber is a public-benefit institution representing all business sectors, and its electoral system must reflect constitutional principles of equality and non-discrimination,” he added.
According to the committee, the reform would reduce the dominance of large corporate blocs while lowering thresholds for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate meaningfully in chamber elections.
Mr Al Maskati confirmed the committee’s openness to further discussion.
“We are keen to study matters referred to us thoroughly and comprehensively. We have requested additional information from the Industry and Commerce Ministry and are fully prepared to meet the minister for further discussion,” he said.
The decision to postpone was supported by committee rapporteur Sadiq Al Rahma, underscoring a consensus that stronger legislation is achieved through dialogue and clarity.
Simultaneously, Mr Fakhro and Chamber chairman Sameer Nass co-chaired the 49th joint economic meeting yesterday.
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