*** Muharraq Councillors furious over MPs’ interference in local matters | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Muharraq Councillors furious over MPs’ interference in local matters

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Fury boiled over in Muharraq’s municipal council as councillors tore into MPs for meddling in local affairs, with one lashing out that they should “restore pensions and raise wages” instead of sticking their noses where they don’t belong.

Yesterday’s session spiralled into a row over whether Parliament was stomping on the powers of municipal councils, leaving some councillors fuming over what they saw as an outright takeover.

The trigger was a request from a group of MPs for a general discussion on the government’s development plans for Muharraq — an issue councillors insist falls squarely within their remit. For some, it was the last straw.

Council vice-chairman Saleh Buhazza was scathing.

Municipal services

“Have they run out of laws to pass that they’re barging into our work now? Instead of fixing the pension hike for retirees, which they’ve been dragging their feet on, or sorting out jobs and wages, they’re sticking their oar into municipal services. That’s our job.” The outrage didn’t stop there. Councillor Ahmed Al Moqahwi warned that municipal councils were being smothered.

“They’re shutting us down, and we won’t cop it. If MPs are serious about public services, they should be giving us more say, not taking it away. We’re at a point where we can’t even get a meeting with the municipal director, let alone a minister. They don’t pick up the phone, they don’t answer letters — nothing.”

Action

Buhazza called for action, urging a formal complaint to the Prime Minister’s Office to keep MPs out of municipal work.

He pressed for councillors to be handed more authority, saying their powers had been chipped away for too long. But not everyone saw it the same way.

Councillor Mohammed Al Moqahwi took a different tack, arguing that if MPs could speed things up for the public, there was no harm in working with them.

Priority

“If this actually helps get problems sorted quicker, then I’m for it. My priority is the people.”

That set off Fadhel Al Oud, who fired back with an accusation of political favouritism.

“This is just buttering up Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam because he’s from your patch. We won’t stand for MPs muscling in on municipal work, especially here in Muharraq.”

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