National Assembly of Bahrain
Encyclopedia
The National Assembly is the name of both chambers of the Bahrain
i parliament
when sitting in joint session, as laid out in the Constitution of 2002
.
It has 80 seats formed from the 40 elected members of the Council of Representatives (the lower house
) and the 40 royally-appointed members of the Consultative Council (the upper house
).
It is chaired by the Speaker of the Consultative Council, or by the Speaker of the Council of Representatives if the former is absent.
(Article 43), the National Assembly was a single chamber parliament consisting of forty members elected by "universal suffrage". However, the then Amir, Shaikh Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah
decreed that women would not be considered as "universal suffrage" and were not allowed to vote in the 1973 parliamentary elections.http://www.hf.uib.no/smi/pao/khalaf.html
. The Emir subsequently did not allow the Assembly to meet again or hold elections during his lifetime.
After the death of Isa ibn Salman al-Khalifa in 1999, his son Shaikh Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah, the new ruler of Bahrain promulgated the Constitution of 2002
. That same year elections were held for the Council of Representatives and he appointed the members for the Consultative Council, forming the first National Assembly
since 1975.
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
i parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
when sitting in joint session, as laid out in the Constitution of 2002
Constitution of Bahrain
Bahrain has had two constitutions in its modern history. The first one was promulgated in 1973, and the second one in 2002.-Constitution of 1973:* Full text of the 1973 constitution...
.
It has 80 seats formed from the 40 elected members of the Council of Representatives (the lower house
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
) and the 40 royally-appointed members of the Consultative Council (the upper house
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
).
It is chaired by the Speaker of the Consultative Council, or by the Speaker of the Council of Representatives if the former is absent.
The National Assembly under the 1973 Constitution
Under the 1973 ConstitutionConstitution of Bahrain
Bahrain has had two constitutions in its modern history. The first one was promulgated in 1973, and the second one in 2002.-Constitution of 1973:* Full text of the 1973 constitution...
(Article 43), the National Assembly was a single chamber parliament consisting of forty members elected by "universal suffrage". However, the then Amir, Shaikh Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah
Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah
Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, GCB, GCMG was the monarch or emir of Bahrain from 1961 until his death. Born in the town of Jasra, he became emir upon the death of his father, Salman ibn Hamad. On May 8, 1949, he married his only wife, Shaikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa .Isa's reign saw Bahrain gain...
decreed that women would not be considered as "universal suffrage" and were not allowed to vote in the 1973 parliamentary elections.http://www.hf.uib.no/smi/pao/khalaf.html
History of the National Assembly of Bahrain
The first ever National Assembly in Bahrain was elected in 1973 under the statutes of the first constitution which was promulgated of that same year. In 1975 the Assembly was dissolved by the then Emir Shaikh Isa ibn Salman al-Khalifa because it refused to pass the government sponsored State Security Law of 1974State Security Law of 1974
Following Bahrain’s independence from the British in 1971, the government of Bahrain embarked on an extended period of political suppression under a 1974 State Security Law shortly after the adoption of the country’s first formal Constitution in 1973...
. The Emir subsequently did not allow the Assembly to meet again or hold elections during his lifetime.
Members of the 1973 National Assembly
- Hassan Al Jishi (President of National Assembly)
- Khalifa Ahmed Al Bin AliKhalifa Ahmed Al Bin AliKhalifa Ahmed Al Bin Ali , was one of the leading, principal, and most important men of the Al Bin Ali tribe in Bahrain during the early 1970s throughout the early 2000s.-Biography:...
(Vice-President of National Assembly) - Ali Qasim Rabea
- Isa Ahmed Qasim
- Abdulhadi KhalafAbdulhadi KhalafAbdulhadi Khalaf is a Bahrani leftist political activist and academic. He received his primary and secondary education in Bahrain, then went abroad for college. He obtained a doctorate in sociology from Sweden's University of Lund in 1972...
- Rasool Al-Jishi
- Abdullah Ali Al-Moawada
- Mohammed Jaber Al-Sabah
- Ali Bin Ebrahim Abdul Aal
- Jassim Mohammed Murad
- Isa Hassan Al-Thawadi
- Ibrahim Mohammed Hassan Fakhro
- Abdul Amir Al-JamriAbdul Amir al-JamriSheikh Abdul Amir al-Jamri was the 'spiritual leader' of Bahrain's Twelver Shi'a population and the 1990s Intifada. He is the father of Mansoor Al-Jamri, editor-in-chief of the Al Wasat daily newspaper.- Biography :...
- Abdullah Mansoor Isa
- Alawi Makki Alharkhat
- Khalid Ibrahim Al-Thawadi
- Mustafa Mohammed Al-Qassab
- Abdullah Al-Shaikh Mohammed Al-Madani
- Abbas Mohammed Ali
- Yousif Salman Kamal
- Abdul Aziz Mansoor Al-Aali
- Hassan Ali Al-Mutawaj
- Salman Al shaikh Mohammed
- Ibrahim bin Salman al Khalifa
- Khalifa Al DhahraniKhalifa Al DhahraniHis Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa King of Bahrain, assigned the Speaker of the Council of Representatives Mr. Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Dahrani to chair the National Dialogue because of the popularity and confidence he enjoys among all the political forces, in addition to his broad experience...
- Mohammed Salman Ahmed Hammad
- Mohammed Abdullah Harmas(Al Harmesi Al-Hajeri)
- Mohsin Hameed Al-Marhoon
- Ali Saleh Al-Saleh
- Hamad Abdullah Abel
After the death of Isa ibn Salman al-Khalifa in 1999, his son Shaikh Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah, the new ruler of Bahrain promulgated the Constitution of 2002
Constitution of Bahrain
Bahrain has had two constitutions in its modern history. The first one was promulgated in 1973, and the second one in 2002.-Constitution of 1973:* Full text of the 1973 constitution...
. That same year elections were held for the Council of Representatives and he appointed the members for the Consultative Council, forming the first National Assembly
National Assembly
National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. The best known National Assembly, and the first legislature to be known by this title, was that established during the French Revolution in 1789, known as the Assemblée nationale...
since 1975.
See also
- Council of Representatives of BahrainCouncil of Representatives of BahrainThe Council of Representatives , sometimes translated as the "Chamber of Deputies", is the name given to the lower house of the Bahraini National Assembly, the main legislative body of Bahrain....
- Consultative Council of BahrainConsultative Council of BahrainThe Consultative Council is the name given to the upper house of the National Assembly, the main legislative body of Bahrain....
- History of BahrainHistory of BahrainBahrain is a island country in the Persian Gulf. Although Bahrain became an independent country in 1971, the history of these islands starts from ancient times...
- Politics of BahrainPolitics of BahrainPolitics of Bahrain takes place in a framework of a constitutional monarchy, with an executive appointed by the King of Bahrain, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and a bi-cameral legislature, with the Chamber of Deputies elected by universal suffrage, and the Shura Council appointed directly by the king...
- Constitution of BahrainConstitution of BahrainBahrain has had two constitutions in its modern history. The first one was promulgated in 1973, and the second one in 2002.-Constitution of 1973:* Full text of the 1973 constitution...
External links
- 2002 Constitution: Section 3 The Legislative Authority National Assembly
- 1973 Constitution: Chapter II Legislative Power