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King of Bahrain Excludes Members of Political Societies from Shura Council

King of Bahrain Excludes Members of Political Societies from Shura Council
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King of Bahrain Excludes Members of Political Societies from Shura Council

King of Bahrain Excludes Members of Political Societies from Shura Council

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain issued a royal decree on Monday, amending some of the provisions that define the criteria of appointing Shura Council members.

The decree was effective from the date of its issuance and was published in the Official Gazette.

He said those to be appointed should not be affiliated to any political society.

The royal order was issued two days after the end of the parliamentary elections that named the representatives of the constituencies.

Following the parliamentary elections, the Bahraini leadership carries out the next step, which is appointing members of the Shura Council.

The new members of the parliament and the council then meet for the first time under the chairmanship of the King.

Notably, the Shura Council usually includes representatives of minorities in the Bahraini society because it is hard for them to be appointed in the elected House of Representatives.

It also includes intellectuals and those with expertise and competence.

The King has the right to choose whoever he deems appropriate to be member of the Council without any conditions.

The Council, which is appointed by the King, is half of the Bahraini parliament or the second chamber while the National Assembly is composed of 80 members.

Meetings of the National Assembly are held following an order by the King to discuss urgent national issues and are chaired by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Bahrain has made changes to the laws of the legislative authority, giving the House of Representatives the right to first review any new amendment, legislation or law.

It also gave the Shura Council the right to question ministers after it was exclusively done by the House of Representatives.

On June 11, King Hamad approved a law banning members of opposition political societies, which have been dissolved by judicial rulings, from running for parliamentary elections.

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As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
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As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)

Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport as well as all roads leading into the city on Saturday, three military sources told Reuters, as the groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad said they had reached the heart of Aleppo.
The opposition fighters, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, carried out a surprise sweep through government-held towns this week and reached Aleppo nearly a decade after having been forced out by Assad and his allies.
Russia, one of Assad's key allies, has promised Damascus extra military aid to thwart the opposition, two military sources said, adding new hardware would start arriving in the next 72 hours.
The Syrian army has been told to follow "safe withdrawal" orders from the main areas of the city that the opposition have entered, three army sources said.
The fighters began their incursion on Wednesday and by late Friday an operations room representing the offensive said they were sweeping through various neighbourhoods of Aleppo.
They are returning to the city for the first time since 2016, when Assad and his allies Russia, Iran, and regional Shi'ite militias retook it, with the insurgents agreeing to withdraw after months of bombardment and siege.
Mustafa Abdul Jaber, a commander in the Jaish al-Izza opposition brigade, said their speedy advance this week had been helped by a lack of Iran-backed manpower in the broader Aleppo province. Iran's allies in the region have suffered a series of blows at the hands of Israel as the Gaza war has expanded through the Middle East.
The opposition fighters have said the campaign was in response to stepped-up strikes in recent weeks against civilians by the Russian and Syrian air force on areas in opposition-held Idlib, and to preempt any attacks by the Syrian army.
Opposition sources in touch with Turkish intelligence said Turkiye, which supports the opposition, had given a green light to the offensive.
But Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said on Friday that Turkiye sought to avoid greater instability in the region and had warned recent attacks undermined de-escalation agreements.
The attack is the biggest since March 2020, when Russia and Turkiye agreed to a deal to de-escalate the conflict.
CIVILIANS KILLED IN FIGHTING
On Friday, Syrian state television denied opposition had reached the city and said Russia was providing Syria's military with air support.
The Syrian military said it was fighting back against the attack and had inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib.
David Carden, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, said: "We're deeply alarmed by the situation unfolding in northwest Syria."
"Relentless attacks over the past three days have claimed the lives of at least 27 civilians, including children as young as 8 years old."
Syrian state news agency SANA said four civilians including two students were killed on Friday in Aleppo by insurgent shelling of university student dormitories. It was not clear if they were among the 27 dead reported by the UN official.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow regarded the attack as a violation of Syria's sovereignty.
"We are in favor of the Syrian authorities bringing order to the area and restoring constitutional order as soon as possible," he said.