Bahraini.TV

Action call after minister cleared

by mahmood on 09/05/08 at 5:59 am

Opposition MPs yesterday threatened action after a parliamentary committee cleared a minister of masterminding a cover-up.

Cabinet Affairs Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatala Al Khalifa had always denied keeping Bahrain’s population explosion a secret.

However, he was let off the hook yesterday by a parliamentary committee, which decided no action should be taken against him.

Three of seven MPs sitting on the committee voted in favour of punishment, but they were outvoted four to three by fellow committee members.

It means the matter will not be listed for discussion at next Tuesday’s full parliament session, but MPs will have a chance to vote on whether to accept the committee’s recommendation.

However, since Al Wefaq accounts for less than half of parliament’s seats it is unlikely that any objection will be successful.

Al Wefaq, the largest bloc in parliament and the country’s main political opposition group, yesterday reacted angrily to the outcome – saying it would take action at next Tuesday’s session.

However, the group would not reveal what it was planning.

“Of course the bloc is upset, but what action we plan to take is still not decided,” said parliament legislative and legal affairs committee chairman and Al Wefaq bloc vice-president Khalil Al Marzooq.

“Everything will be known during Tuesday’s session.”

The committee that questioned Shaikh Ahmed consists of two Al Menbar MPs, two Al Asala MPs and three Al Wefaq MPs.

Mr Al Marzooq claimed the outcome was inevitable, since the majority of MPs on the committee represent pro-government groups.

However, committee chairman and Al Menbar MP Dr Ali Ahmed said the decision was taken democratically and through a vote.

“Four out of seven MPs voted that no action should be taken,” he said.

“We have allowed everyone to speak in the most democratic manner possible, as each committee member gave his opinion on the issue.”

The committee questioned the minister behind closed doors for five hours two weeks ago, following accusations by opposition MPs that he kept secret the fact that Bahrain’s population had crossed the one million mark.

Shaikh Ahmed claimed he did not announce it sooner because he was supplied conflicting figures by the Central Informatics Organisation and the Central Population Register office, both of which fall within his responsibilities.

The committee was initially due to take a decision on Wednesday, but the meeting ended in deadlock.

Meanwhile, Mr Al Marzooq yesterday denied accusations by members of the Al Menbar bloc that Al Wefaq MPs had leaked video footage of the questioning, recorded on their mobile phones.

Questioning

“How could someone film the questioning?” he asked. “He would have to hold his mobile phone for five hours.

“The phone’s capacity can’t withstand five hours anyway.

“Information is not just being leaked now – it has been leaked for the past six years, since parliament started and when we (Al Wefaq) were not part of it.

“Secret documents and scripts of closed meetings were being published in local newspapers, so did we leak that too?”

The questioning of Shaikh Ahmed has divided pro-government MPs and members of the opposition for months.

Six parliamentary sessions have been halted and one cancelled over seven weeks as a result of the escalating row, which started in February.