Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a royal order appointing 40 members of the Shura Council with Ali bin Saleh as Chairman.
Saleh will hold the presidency of the Council for the third term since 2010. The new formation included 31 members from the previous council, including six women who retained their seats in the new parliamentary session.
King Hamad called on the parliament with both its upper and lower chambers to hold the first session of the fifth legislative term on Wednesday.
The new council boasts nine women, including a Jewish member, Nancy Dinah Khedouri, and a Christian, Hala Ramzi Qurisa, who retained their seats from the previous council.
The appointment of nine women in the Shura Council, the second chamber of the parliament, brings female representation to 15 seats. This amounts to 18 percent of total members of the legislative authority, a first in the Kingdom’s history.
The appointment of members and the chairman of the Shura Council is the last step for launching the fifth legislative term, which begins in 2019 and ends in 2022.
The Shura and Consultative Councils convene at the beginning of the legislative term and in cases when the King calls for the meeting of the National Assembly to pass laws or enact legislation.
The royal order shall take effect as from December 12 and will be published in the Official Gazette.
