Bahrain: Five laws passed without changes

Gulf Daily News
MPs yesterday approved five laws passed to them by the Shura Council without discussion or amendments.

Both chambers are in dispute over several articles in the five laws but MPs decided yesterday that they could pass them without any delay because there were no major differences.

The laws will be now ratified by His Majesty King Hamad.

Among them is granting equal rights to the children of Bahraini women married to expatriates as those with Bahraini fathers.

The Shura Council decided to include a new article last month in the law.

It stipulates that children of Bahraini women have to be permanent residents in order to benefit from equal rights.

The bill allows expatriate wives the same treatment as their Bahraini counterparts in services such as government fees, education, health and an exemption from residency visa requirements.

Parliament also agreed with the Shura Council to reject an amendment among several others to the Trade Unions Law that would have allowed more than one union in the same establishment on the basis that it would create tension and division between employees.

MPs also agreed with councillors on setting up a new medical licences and services authority, after a vote to reject the Shura Council amendments was halted by parliament chairman Khalifa Al Dhahrani early this month, asking MPs to study it further.

They also approved an amended bill by the council granting GCC nationals equal rights as Bahraini businessmen when setting up businesses in Bahrain.

Parliament was also on its way to insist on its decision in regard to three other laws amended by the council but decided to postpone discussions until tomorrow's extraordinary session, which was later cancelled as MPs voted for a day off.

Parliament had earlier approved a bill to pay pensions of the deceased in the government, private and military sectors to distant relatives if they had no close family members.

However, the council rejected the bill, saying that pensions were not inheritance and could not be dealt with in the manner MPs wanted.

Services committee chairman Dr Ali Ahmed said parliament was hoping to approve all of Shura's decisions but found it difficult to approve the remaining three bills.

"I have been very lenient with councillors despite some disagreements on their approach to articles in the medical licences and services authority," he said.

"My committee liked the addition of children of Bahraini women and the ban on the formation of several unions in one establishment and according to that I recommended their approval. "But I have a huge dispute with councillors over the pension laws and parliament would have insisted on its previous decision if MPs did not decide to postpone discussing it. "Thankfully the major laws have been approved and are now in the hands of His Majesty King Hamad to ratify."