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Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa succeeded the throne in March 1999, after the death of his father Shaikh Isa bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrainís ruler since 1961. He championed a program of democratic reform shortly after his succession. In November 2000, Shaikh Hamad established a committee to create a blueprint to transform Bahrain from a hereditary emirate to a constitutional monarchy within 2 years. The resulting ìNational Action Charterî was presented to the Bahraini public in a referendum in February 2001. In the first comprehensive public vote in Bahrain since the 1970s, 94.8% of voters overwhelmingly endorsed the charter. That same month, Shaikh Hamad pardoned all political prisoners and detainees, including those who had been imprisoned, exiled or detained on security charges. He also abolished the State Security Law and the State Security Court, which had permitted the government to detain individuals without trial for up to 3 years. On February 14, 2002, one year after the referendum endorsing his National Action Charter, Shaikh Hamad pronounced Bahrain a constitutional monarchy and changed his status from Amir to King. He simultaneously announced that the first municipal elections since 1957 would be held in May 2002, and that a bicameral parliament, with a representative lower house, would be reconstituted with parliamentary elections in October 2002. As part of these constitutional reforms, the government also created an independent financial watchdog empowered to investigate cases of embezzlement and violations of state expenditure in July 2002. Turnout for the May 2002 municipal elections was 51%, with female voters making up 52 % percent of voters. Turnout for the 2002 parliamentary elections--the first in almost three decades--was 53% in the first round and 43% in the second round, despite the fact that the four political societies, including the largest Shia society, organized a boycott to protest constitutional amendments enacted by the King that gave the appointed upper chamber of parliament voting rights equal to the elected lower chamber. Sunni Islamists won 19 of the 40 seats. Despite strong participation by female voters, none of the female candidates standing in these elections won a parliamentary seat. The new parliament held its first joint sitting in December 2002. Bahrain will hold elections for the five municipal councils in May 2006 and for the 40 seats in the lower house of parliament in October 2006. Bahrain has a complex system of courts, based on diverse legal sources, including Sunni and Shi'a Sharia (religious law), tribal law, and other civil codes and regulations created with the help of British advisers in the early 20th century. In 2001, Shaikh Hamad created the Supreme Judicial Council to regulate these courts and separate the administrative and judicial branches of government. |
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King--Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Crown Prince and Commander in Chief of the Bahrain Defense Force--Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa
Prime Minister--Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa
Deputy Prime Minister and Islamic Affairs Minister--Shaikh Abdullah bin Khaled Al Khalifa
Deputy Prime Minister for Ministerial Committees--Shaikh Mohammad bin Mubarak Al Khalifa
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport and Communications Minister--Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa
Foreign Minister--Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa Ambassador to the United States--Dr. Naser M.Y. Al Belooshi
Ambassador to the United Nations--Tawfeeq Al-Ahmed Al-Mansoor Bahrain maintains an embassy in the United States at 3502 International Drive N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008; tel: [1] (202) 342-1111; fax: [1] (202) 362-2192. The Bahraini Mission to the UN is located at866 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017; tel: [1] (212)223-6200; fax [1] (202) 319-0687. |
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