Bahrain Mirror: Rasd Centre for Studies and Political Researches launched its first reports evaluate the performance of parliamentarians of the Shura Council and the House of Representatives entitled "Lost in Orbit of Power", for the first session of the fifth legislative term (December 2018 - May 2019). The report is issued as the second session of legislative term is coming to an end.

It is worth mentioning that Rasd Centre was established in London at the end of 2019. It prepares studies and research related to the Gulf reality at the political, social, economic and other levels.

The report includes a historic and definitive brief on the structure of the legislative authority in the Kingdom of Bahrain represented by the Shura Council and House of Representatives, and details their composition.

The report focused on the content of the royal speech at the opening of the first session, where the main topics were monitored and evaluated on both internal and external levels (a letter of praise and guidance) overlooking significant political, economic and security issues, as well as the response of the two councils to the speech (summary of their assessment: a false parliamentary promise in the face of a loose Shura promise).

The report also addressed the apparatuses of the two councils represented by the two presidents, with monitoring their positions and stances during the past round (Zainal, Speaker of the Council of Representatives, and Al-Saleh, speaker of the Shura Council), the office of the two houses with regards to functions and members, as well as the various types of joint committees of the House of Representatives and Shura, where their tasks, composition, functions and work, were studied and evaluated.

The report monitored the most important topics proposed to the Shura and Parliament, classified by type, and the decisions taken in this regard, with a detailed assessment. Questions addressed by members of both houses to ministers were also observed and evaluated according to their number and areas (product: lost fact), as were statements by the two councils on domestic and external issues (anchored within a triangle: praise, congratulations, denunciation).

In its general assessment of the performance of the legislative authority, the report concluded that its achievement was "zero". The citizens only received frustration, resentment, humiliation, misinformation, anger, in exchange for their dependence, submission, subservience, obedience, and submission to the executive branch. Therefore, the end result is that this authority does not meet or fulfill the aspirations of citizens, and does not take into account their interests.

Accordingly, the report recommended that the national opposition forces uphold to the popular political demands for a fully empowered legislative authority, a fair electoral system and an elected government (Manama Document: October 12, 2011). It also recommended the formation of follow-up committees to monitor the performance of the legislative authority role in each session, and to prepare periodic reports to assess its work, while involving citizens in the assessment by canvassing their opinions.

The report stressed the need to develop public awareness to hold the legislative authority accountable and to monitor the implementation of the promises of its members, pledges and criticism of their performance, as well as launch media campaigns and organize regular conferences to inform and evaluate local public opinion on the authority's performance.

Arabic Version