A dramatic walkout by a Southern Municipal council member from a meeting yesterday – over alleged lack of government co-operation with elected councillors – could now put him at risk of disciplinary action.
Financial, administrative and legislative committee chairman Mohammed Daraj stormed out of the session after accusing a senior Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry official of ‘deliberately undermining the meeting by failing to secure the attendance of officials’ from the Electricity and Water Affairs, and Housing and Urban Planning Ministries for scheduled agenda items.
Council chairman Abdulla Abdullatif strongly rejected the claim, accusing Mr Daraj of disrupting the meeting, challenging the chairman’s authority and insulting a senior official before leaving the chamber.
“Minutes before the meeting was scheduled to begin, Mr Daraj stood outside the chamber and urged fellow councillors not to enter,” Mr Abdullatif told the GDN.
“When he failed to persuade them – delaying the meeting from its usual start time at 10am – he entered and remained silent.
“As topics four and five were being discussed, he suddenly stood up, insulted the senior official and walked out in protest. This was unjustifiable.
“His action undermined my authority and control over the meeting and caused disruption. He even waved to his colleagues to leave the session, but they did not comply.”
Mr Abdullatif said arrangements for government officials to attend council meetings were governed by established procedures and were not the responsibility of individual councillors.
“It is my duty to make those arrangements, not his, in my role as chairman, which includes inviting people and allowing them to enter or leave the chamber,” he said.
“All of this coming from the member will not pass unpunished. Severe punishment is what I have planned.”
Under Bahrain’s municipal framework, a council member can lose their membership for a breach of duties, with such a decision requiring a two-thirds majority after the member has been given an opportunity to present their case.
Mr Daraj insisted his walkout was not political theatre and said it was prompted by a genuine failure to address matters affecting residents.
“We held our general-secretariat meeting on Thursday and sent a letter to Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry expropriation and municipal councils affairs official Sadiq Al Sitri, who said in writing that it was short notice and that seven working days were needed to make the arrangements,” Mr Daraj said.
“Following a second request on Sunday, Mr Al Sitri contacted the concerned ministries, and they replied that it was short notice.
“I am here to do work and not play around. People’s interests required me to walk out.”
The council’s general-secretariat comprises the chairman, vice-chairman and the council’s committee chairmen who work together to prepare the schedule.
Mr Al Sitri, however, said the seven-day period was an organisational provision designed to give ministries and government bodies sufficient time to prepare for an upcoming meeting.
“I want all councils to succeed,” Mr Al Sitri told the GDN.
“I did not say councils should meet every three weeks because of the organisational seven days. It is there to ensure sufficient time.
“I do the arrangements with my team in a day or two, but the organisational period is there to ensure prior notice. If officials from other ministries or government agencies cannot attend because of prior commitments, there is nothing we can do.
“We work with council chairmen to schedule meetings a day or two or a week later, including extraordinary meetings.”
He stressed that proper government feedback was essential before councils adopted recommendations requiring action from other authorities.
The latest clash adds another chapter to Mr Daraj’s sometimes contentious relationship with the council. Two years ago, he requested to step down from the financial, administrative and legislative committee without giving reasons, but fellow councillors unanimously rejected his request.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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