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A proposal that focuses on ensuring councillors only submit proposals related to issues within their own constituencies, rather than across the wider governorate, following claims of interferences and bypass has been approved by the Northern Municipal Council.
It seeks to amend the current wording of Article 73 in the council’s internal bylaws to explicitly state that councillors may submit proposals only on matters that concern the citizens of the constituency they represent, provided the issues fall within the mandate and authority of the municipal council.
Current Clause (d) of Article 73 states:
“Any council member may submit a proposal to the council on any matter relating to the fundamental interests of citizens in the governorate covered by the municipal council, within the limits of its jurisdiction. The proposal must be submitted in writing to the council chairman with an explanatory note.”
The proposed amendment reads:
“Any council member may submit a proposal to the council on any matter relating to the fundamental interests of citizens in the constituency he or she represents, within the limits of the council’s jurisdiction. The proposal must be submitted in writing to the council chairman with an explanatory note.”
In a detailed justification presented to the council, councillor Zainab Al Durazi outlined several reasons for her proposed amendment:
- Promoting fairness: “This amendment guarantees that each councillor focuses on the needs of their specific constituency, rather than overlapping into others’ responsibilities,” Ms Al Durazi said. “This will strengthen equity in how resources and services are distributed.”
- Enhancing accountability: “When councillors are limited to proposing solutions for their own areas, they become more responsible and focused on their role as local representatives,” she added. “It makes them more answerable to the people who elected them.”
- Avoiding conflict: “The amendment is also seen as a way to prevent potential political disputes or territorial overlaps between councillors, particularly when multiple members attempt to address the same issue from different constituencies.”
- Improving proposal quality: “Councillors are most familiar with the issues in their own areas,” Ms Al Durazi explained. “This amendment will lead to more accurate, relevant, and community-driven proposals.”
- Encouraging public participation: “By empowering councillors to act as direct conduits for community concerns, the amendment would help foster greater civic engagement and trust in local governance.
- Raising proposal standards: “Allowing councillors to focus only on their area ensures that they will present well-researched and appropriate solutions that directly respond to local needs.”
Ms Al Durazi said the aim was to institutionalise work within the Northern Municipal Council’s internal regulations and set a precedent for better local governance across Bahrain.
“This is about professionalising the way we serve our communities,” she said.
“Municipal work must be grounded in clarity, fairness and accountability, and this amendment supports all of those values.”
The recommendation will be forwarded to Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak for final approval, and if passed could become a model for similar procedural reforms in other municipal councils across the kingdom.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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