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Manama: Bahrain's MPs on Sunday could not reach a consensus on the merit of quizzing a minister on charges of financial irregularities despite three weeks of turmoil and scenes of pandemonium in the Lower House that disrupted three sessions.
The MPs from several blocs, seeking solutions before tomorrow's crucial session, failed to bridge their differences exacerbated by a decision by Speaker Khalifa Al Dhahrani on Friday to submit the possibility of quizzing Shaikh Ahmad Bin Atiyatallah Al Khalifa, State Minister for Cabinet Affairs, to the parliament for voting.
Al Wefaq, with 17 representatives at the 40-member Lower House, has rejected the option, but has to put up with pressure from two Islamist societies, Al Menbar and Al Asala, the Independent Bloc and independent MPs, who said Shaikh Ahmad's grilling was unconstitutional and that Al Wefaq had personal grudges against him.
"We hold Al Dhahrani responsible for all the negative developments that will be generated by his highly controversial decision," Haydar Al Sitri, MP for Al Wefaq, said.
Thwart efforts
"It is a clear intention to undermine the parliament experience and to thwart all our efforts to find a solution to the crisis. Whenever there is a new opening, some people resort to contrasting and weak arguments to block it and consolidate the impasse."
Ganem Al Buaynain, First Deputy Speaker and Head of Al Asala, charged that Al Wefaq was leading the Lower House towards a dead end.
"Al Wefaq has been particularly stubborn and has consistently rejected all explanations that the questioning was unconstitutional. Now the only solution left, and it pains me to say it, is to dissolve the parliament," he said in his statement.
But the option was vehemently rejected by Al Wefaq MP Shaikh Hassan Sultan.
"We are shocked by the call to dissolve the parliament, one of the most significant achievements of King Hamad [Bin Eisa Al Khalifa] and the people of Bahrain. There is a real tragedy when some people are ready to undermine the parliament experiment to avoid the grilling of a minister," he said.
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