UntitledPolitical Overview
On February 14, 2002, King of Bahrain, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, transformed Bahrain from an emirate to constitutional monarchy. He introduced an amended constitution that created a Legislative Authority consisting of two Chambers: an appointed Consultative Council and an elected Chamber of Deputies with an equal number of members and similar legislative powers. In May, Bahrain conducted its first-ever municipal elections, which were followed on October 24 and 31 by the country's first legislative elections in nearly 30 years. In all these elections, women were allowed both to vote and to stand as candidates. Due to concerns about the participatory nature of Bahrain's democratic transition, large sectors of the Shiite population boycotted the parliamentary elections. Official turnout figures, however, were around 50 percent in both cases.
Historical Background
Bahrain, an archipelago of 33 islands in the Persian Gulf some four times the size of the District of Columbia, won independence from Britain on August 15, 1971. In December 1972, a Constituent Assembly was elected and produced a new constitution. The first National Assembly was elected on December 7, 1973 and dissolved in less than two years, on August 26, 1975. The Amir suspended the constitution and ruled by decree. Repression and lack of political freedom led to simmering resentment on the part of many Bahrainis, particularly among Shiites and an outspoken exile community.
Political Reform
Since ascending the throne in 1999, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has instituted political and legal reforms; reversed decades of suppression of political dissidents; freed political prisoners; allowed exiles to return home; and repealed emergency security laws. He also allowed the formation of political societies, independent human rights groups and trade unions.
Program Overview
Since March 2002, NDI has sought to strengthen Bahraini political and civil society organizations and to enhance their capacity to play a constructive and meaningful role in the political reforms initiated by His Majesty the King. The overarching objective of NDI activities in Bahrain is to improve the prospects for a more inclusive and viable democratic transition process by fostering the civil participation of citizens and accountable and effective political societies.
NDI has established relationships with key civil society and government leaders in Bahrain from across the political spectrum. The Institute's emphasis on engaging a broad range of political actors has allowed NDI to play a vital role in facilitating dialogue and encouraging collaboration between representatives of opposing viewpoints. The Institute's President, Ken Wollack, and the Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Les Campbell, visited Bahrain and held high level meetings with King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and numerous government ministers. They also met with political and civil society leaders to discuss political reforms in Bahrain and election related programs.
To increase the capacity of Bahrain's elected representatives, NDI conducted three workshops for Bahraini political and civil society organizations and members of the newly elected municipal councils. In addition, the Institute carried out a series of focus groups and interactive trainings covering topics such as electoral campaign planning, strategic planning, voter outreach, advocacy strategy, media election coverage, domestic monitoring, candidate training and awareness campaigns.
The Institute's current program seeks to help political societies develop the capacity to organize and increase their abilities to engage in constructive dialogue with each other and with the government in order to improve the environment in which the 2006 elections will take place. NDI continues to carry out practical trainings and roundtable discussions to assist political society leaders in strengthening internal society structures, developing inter-society platforms and opening dialogue with policy makers at the local and national levels.
Contact Information
For further information on our programs in Bahrain, please contact:
Leigh Catherine Miles, Senior Program Officer Send Email
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