14 n Key official is appointed

14
Gulf Daily News
Monday, 17th November 2014
Email: [email protected]
n Key official
is appointed
HIS Majesty King Hamad yesterday
issued a decree appointing Hussain
Ahmed Al Shael as assistant
under-secretary for airport safety
and security at the Transportation
Ministry.
n Housing push
THE Housing Ministry has
launched a project comprising
316 housing units on Island 14 in
the Northern City, which is being
funded by the Gulf Development
Programme, Housing Minister
Bassem Al Hamer said yesterday.
Procedures for infrastructure networks on Islands 13 and 14 have
been finalised, and will be funded
from the government budget
allocated for housing projects, he
added.
Other bids to build 577 housing
units and infrastructure are
underway. The project is funded
by the Kuwait government
through the Gulf Development
Programme, he said.
n Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Hassan Fakhro
yesterday received the Philippines President’s special
envoy to GCC countries Dr Amable R Aguiluz and discussed
economic relations and efforts to bolster food security and
joint investment.
n Education Minister Dr Majid Al Nuaimi yesterday received Dr Aguiluz and stressed the role
of the Higher Education Council in following up academic programmes. Under-Secretary
for education affairs and curricula Dr Abdulla Al Mutawa and HEC secretary-general Dr
Riyadh Hamza attended. AMA graduation – Pages 16 and 17
n Culture Minister Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa
yesterday received Dr Verna Leber, who is in charge of the
Papyrus collection in the Egyptian Museum of Berlin, and
discussed co-operation. German Embassy Charge d’Affaires
Holger Tillmann attended. Shaikha Mai underscored the
importance of co-operating with museums and promoting
East-West cultural exchanges, highlighting the efforts of the
Bahrain National Museum which is celebrating its silver jubilee.
n Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of His Majesty King
Hamad and Supreme Council for Women (SCW) President, yesterday greeted Queen Rania
of Jordan. This came as Queen Rania received SCW secretary-general Hala Al Ansari on the
sidelines of a two-day forum “Social Gender, Law and Public Policies in the Middle East and
North Africa”, which opens today. Ms Al Ansari hailed the efforts of Queen Rania to promote
girls’ education as honorary chairperson of the UN Girls’ Education Initiative and founder of
the Jordan Valley Institution.
n Education chance
STUDENTS can improve their
English language skills and learn
about the community colleges
system in the US during two free
sessions tomorrow and Wednesday
at the American Corner in Shaikh Isa
Cultural Centre, Juffair. The sessions
run from 4pm to 5.30pm on both
days and are open to all.
The sessions, entitled Writing Your
Personal Essay and Community Colleges and Student Life in the US, are
being organised by the US Embassy
to coincide with International Education Week from today to Friday.
A free online college fair featuring
representatives of more than 150 US
universities will also take place on
Wednesday for 12 hours, starting
at noon.
To take part visit http://www.
collegeweeklive.com/educationusa
and for more information call the
embassy on 17242700.
n Probe completed
INVESTIGATIONS into the death
of an inmate at the Reformation
and Rehabilitation Centre have
been completed, Special Investigation Unit acting director Ibrahim
Al Kuwari said yesterday.
Six policemen have been charged
with torture and referred to the
High Criminal Court which will
begin hearing on November 25,
he said.
Three other officers have been
charged with other offences in the
case.
n Gita lecture
A BHAGVAD Gita lecture series
“Geethamrutham” will be held at
Bahrain
Keraleeya
Samajam
from
Thursday to
Saturday.
They will
be delivered
by famous
spiritual
lecturer
from India
His Grace
Lal Govn Mr Govinda Das
inda Das.
The lectures
begin at
7.30pm and will conclude at 9pm
followed by cultural programmes
by children. Dinner prasadam will
be served to all attendees. The event
has been organised by Sri Sri Radha
Gopalakrishna Temple, Kanoo
Garden. For more details, contact
39642262, 39829348, 33668885.
n Fire at house
A FIRE started in a house in
Hamad Town last night when a
car parked in the garage went up
in flames due to a petrol leak. Civil
Defence put out the blaze, said
the Interior Ministry. No further
information was available.
n Social Development Minister Dr Fatima Al Balooshi yesterday inspected the progress of work on Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al
Khalifa Social Centre. The state-of-the-art centre is located at Wadi Al Hunainiya. Present were ministry Under-Secretary Hanan Mohammed Kamal, Works
Ministry assistant under-secretary for construction projects and maintenance Mona Jassim Al Mutawa and other key officials. The work on the three-storey
centre, which covers an area of 8,350sqm, is expected to be completed within 18 months. It will feature administrative offices, training classrooms, halls for
lectures and social activities and a multipurpose theatre. An entire floor will showcase products of productive families.
Candidates speak on major issues in live debate
By SHAHLAA AHMED
FOUR candidates running for a
parliament seat in Muharraq’s
constituency four took part in a
live debate last night.
National Unity Assembly candidate Ali Al A’aynati, unionist
Mohammed Al Murbati, lawyer
Majed Al A’atawi and Mohammed Al Khayami were given up
to five minutes to answer questions relating to fighting bribery,
importance of strong candidates,
quizzing ministers and the Shura Council’s role in the National
Assembly.
They spoke in the presence of hundreds
of residents of the constituency, which
covers Halat Abu Maher, Al Ghous Corniche and Old Muharraq Suq.
Three other election hopefuls – former
MP Isa Al Kooheji, Reema Helal and
Hamad Al Mearaj – failed to attend the
two-hour event, which was organised by
Al Jazeera Cultural Centre.
The candidates engaged in a fiery exchange when the debate moderator asked
them about a proposal that MPs passed in
June that limited their own powers.
A minister could be questioned in parliament if 31 of a total of 40 MPs voted
in favour of it, but the legislators passed
an amendment in June that required 27 to
n The candidates at the event
agree before questioning.
A commission must also be formed to
study whether the suggested question is
valid before it is put to the vote.
“They had the chance to question ministers but they chose to make it difficult
by making these amendments,” said Mr
Al A’atawi.
“Now two-thirds of the MPs have to
agree in order to be able to summon a
minister and question him, which indicates how some outgoing MPs chose to
do their job.”
The candidates also discussed the role
Shura Council members played in passing
legislation.
Some blamed the council for opposing
certain laws passed by parliament, while
others said the members could not be
blamed when most of the suggestions put
forward by MPs were “weak”.
“I have spoken to more than one member from Shura Council who told me that
MPS have forwarded hundreds of weak
suggestions,” said Mr Al A’aynati.
“These members actually saved the
country from some disastrous decisions
that could have taken place if they were
not present.”
Meanwhile, Mr Al A’aynati, who has
worked as a diplomat for more than 40
years, blamed political societies for failing to spread the importance of voting
among citizens.
“A democratic transformation can only
be achieved when people understand the
structure of parliament and the rights and
benefits they get from it. The process does
not end by voting.
“The disaster happens when candidates
use religion or bribes to buy their votes,
which I am strongly against.”
Mr Al Khayami said that people who
accept bribes convinced themselves they
were merely taking gifts.
“People sometimes justify that by saying it is a present and is not ‘haram’ and
on the other end we have candidates saying that they give away gifts for humanitarian purposes. It is all ironic,” Mr Al
Khayami said.