No By-elections for Empty Parliament Seats

Law-making process to proceed under constitutional framework

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

No by-elections are planned for vacant parliamentary seats for now, Speaker Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam said on Wednesday, adding that the empty constituencies would be dealt with under a special arrangement to be announced later.

Speaking at Parliament’s press conference, Mr Al Musallam said the royal order extending the sitting had been issued in view of the current circumstances, which did not allow elections to be held during this period.

He said the loss of some seats did not mean by-elections must follow, as Parliament’s internal rules allow such cases to be handled through the legal and organisational channels in force.

The Speaker also said in reply to a question from The Daily Tribune bills put forward individually by MPs whose membership had been revoked were no longer before Parliament and had been withdrawn under the usual steps.

Measures brought jointly with other MPs, however, remain alive.

Mr Al Musallam said Parliament would carry on with its law-making and organisational work in line with the constitution and its internal rules.

He added that vacant constituencies would have their own arrangement, to be made public later. The constitution, he said, states that an MP represents the people as a whole, rather than only the constituency that elected them.

For some organisational or service matters, he added, Parliament might turn to the MP nearest to the vacant constituency, either by geography or by administrative link.

Legal adviser Saleh Al Ghatheeth also said an MP represents all areas of Bahrain, not only one area.