But it refers the issue to the services panel and not the public utilities and environment affairs committee the bloc wants.
Al Wefaq boycotted three sessions in a row this month to press for deputies’ constitutional right to grill ministers on alleged irregularities. And Speaker Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Dhahrani did not convene the fourth.
So, the bloc is adopting a wait-and-watch policy. “We are glad that finally the questioning of Shaikh Ahmed is on the agenda. But it says the matter will be referred to the services panel which deals with issues related to health, education and media, among others,” Al Wefaq Deputy Jawad Fairooz told the Tribune yesterday.
He said the issue should be referred to the public utilities and environment affairs committee as the questions set for Shaikh Ahmed dealt with discrepancies in population statistics provided by the Central Informatics Organisation headed by the minister.
“Ideally, the Sepaker’s Office should send it to this panel which has the locus standi to discuss the Shaikh Ahmed case. The services committee has nothing to do with it nor it deals with any of the issues we have raised in our questions.
“We will object to this. But first we need support from other blocs to question Shaikh Ahmed in the House,” Fairooz said.
The 17-member Al Wefaq bloc would put the grilling of the minister to vote. If it musters 21 votes, there could be a discussion. Else Shaikh Ahmed will have sort of relief as he might then be questioned only in the third term of parliament. The second term expires next month and as per parliament rules, voting over such issues can take place only once in one term.
The bloc wants to question Shaikh Ahmed over alleged financial irregularities, employment discrepancies at the Civil Service Bureau and the “suppression” of data showing that Bahrain population had crossed one million mark. Incidentally, Al Wefaq has majority in the public utilities and environment affairs committee, headed by Fairooz.
