Speaker highlights Bahrain’s well-established democratic practices

Manama, Sep. 14 (BNA): Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Fawzia bint Abdulla Zainal, said that His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has, during his prosperous era, laid the foundations for an integrated democratic system based on solid legal and legislative bases, which placed Bahrain among modern developed countries through the wise vision embedded in the Royal Reform Project that covers various sectors. She stressed that HM the King’s reform approach has put forward the solid bases for a democratic state, as stipulated in the Constitution, established the state of law and establishments, and encouraged strong popular participation, being among the main pillars of democracy, within open democratic practices aimed at achieving the Bahraini people’s aspirations and ambitions. The speaker underlined the Legislative Branch’s keenness to achieve the goals, values and principles of democratic work and practices according to a constitutional and legal method, through enacting legislation and making proposals and initiatives aimed at consolidating the principles of human rights and responsible freedom of opinion and expression, in line with the provisions of Bahrain’s constitution and based on the principles of the National Action Charter to implement HM the King’s directives in this regard. In a statement marking the International Day of Democracy, celebrated worldwide every September 15, and which coincides with the issuance of the Universal Declaration on Democracy by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the speaker called for concerted regional and international efforts to further consolidate the international democratic and parliamentary work method to achieve the interests of countries and societies, and meet peoples’ aspirations. She added that Bahrain had witnessed a unique national and popular consensus, the highest manifestation of which was the meeting of the royal will and the active and wide popular participation in the adoption of HM the King’s Reform Project, culminating in the endorsement of the National Action Charter in February 2001, by 98.4%. She pointed out that the kingdom’s constitution in its paragraph “e”, known as the “democracy” paragraph, stipulates that “Citizens, both men and women, are entitled to participate in public affairs and may enjoy political rights, including the right to vote and to stand for elections”, the rights that the Bahraini people have actually enjoyed as reflected in the recent parliamentary elections which witnessed the highest turnout in the history of the kingdom, thus reflecting the citizens’ confidence in their democratically elected institutions and keenness to exercise their political rights guaranteed by the National Action Charter, the Constitution and laws. She stressed that the democratic, constitutional and legal work in the Kingdom has become a well-established solid approach, a general culture and a continuous practice in all affairs and areas of life in the Bahraini society through the establishment of legislative and supervisory institutions, as well as in the curricula of education, adding that the values and principles of tolerance and coexistence, human rights, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to practise religious freedoms, the right to form political societies, and many other democratic civilisational practices have become an integrated system of work in Bahrain, and earned it wide international acclaim. The speaker praised the role and efforts of state institutions and civil society to implement and respect the principles of democratic action through constitutional institutions, popular participation, national and cultural practices and positive contribution to building the nation, safeguarding achievements and capabilities, and preserving the future of the coming generations.