Author: BI-ME staff
Source: BI-ME
Published: 16 January 2008
BAHRAIN. Bahrain’s lower house on Tuesday rejected a motion by Al Wefaq to discuss discrimination in the allocation of jobs in the public sector.
The society, which forms the largest bloc with 17 of the 40 members making up the Council of Representatives told the other MPs at the Council of Representatives that it wanted to discuss what it said was blatant discrimination, based mainly on sectarian affiliation in employment opportunities in government ministries.
Author: BI-ME staff
Source: BI-ME
Published: 16 January 2008
BAHRAIN. Bahrain’s lower house on Tuesday rejected a motion by Al Wefaq to discuss discrimination in the allocation of jobs in the public sector.
The society, which forms the largest bloc with 17 of the 40 members making up the Council of Representatives told the other MPs at the Council of Representatives that it wanted to discuss what it said was blatant discrimination, based mainly on sectarian affiliation in employment opportunities in government ministries.
But the motion was defeated after MPs from other societies voted by 17 to 15 not to include it on the day’s agenda, handing Al Wefaq its second blow as it sought to bring the debate to parliament.
Two MPs from Al Wefaq and their supporter, MP Abdul Aziz Abul, were not present at the session, a factor that contributed to the defeat of the motion.
Khalil Marzouq, the head of Al Wefaq’s parliamentary bloc, said that a debate of the issue was highly significant because it had negatively affected the social and economic conditions of thousands of people who could not find jobs because of discriminatory attitudes.
Official reports have consistently reported that unfair discrminiation does not exist in Bahrain and other GCC states. Allegations of discrimination against the Shi’a population, which make up 70% of the population of Bahrain is at the centre of the issue. The case being made for the motion asserts that employment in government bureaus does not follow a clear and specific standard, it is governed by family and sectarian connections. In the light of the absence of mechanisms of monitoring these forms of discrimination, harmony and social security is being challenged among the people
Sunnis are said to receive preference for employment in sensitive government positions and in the managerial ranks of the civil service. The royal family is Sunni, and the defence and internal security forces have been predominantly Sunni. Shi’a citizens were allowed to hold posts in these forces, though not in positions of significance. The Interior Ministry has been taking action with the establishment of a community police programme to train 500 Shi’a men and women to patrol Shi’a neighbourhoods. In the private sector, Shi’a citizens have tended to be employed in lower paid, less skilled jobs.
While Shi’a Mulims have acknowledged that the situation iisimproving slowly, they still compose a disproportionately high percentage of the country’s unemployed.
