National Assembly المجلس الوطني البحريني al-majlis al-watani | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | Consultative Council Council of Representatives |
| Leadership | |
Chairman of theConsultative Council | Salim bin Rashid Al-Khalifa since 15 December 2008 |
Ahmed bin Salman Al-Musallam since 12 December 2022 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 80 40 in the Consultative Council 40 Representatives |
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Consultative Council political groups | Independent (40) |
| |
Council of Representatives political groups | Independent (40) |
| Elections | |
| Appointed by theKing | |
| Two-round system | |
LastCouncil of Representatives election | 12 November 2022 |
| Meeting place | |
| Manama | |
| Website | |
| www | |
|
|---|
|
| Judiciary |
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| Administrative divisions(governorates) |
Related topics |
 Bahrain portal |
TheNational Assembly (Arabic:المجلس الوطني البحريني) is thelegislative body[1][2] ofBahrain. Parliament isbicameral, consisting of the 40 elected members of theCouncil of Representatives (thelower house) and the 40 royally-appointed members of theConsultative Council (theupper house). The joint session of the National Assembly is chaired by the Speaker of theCouncil of Representatives, or by the Speaker of theConsultative Council if the former is absent.[3]
Under the1973 Constitution (Article 43), the National Assembly was a single chamber parliament consisting of forty members elected by "universal suffrage". However, the thenAmir, ShaikhIsa ibn Salman Al Khalifah decreed that women would not be considered as "universal suffrage" and were not allowed to vote in the 1973 parliamentary elections.[4]
The first ever National Assembly in Bahrain was elected in 1973 under the statutes of the first constitution which was promulgated of that same year. In 1975, the Assembly was dissolved by the then Emir ShaikhIsa ibn Salman al-Khalifa because it refused to pass the government sponsoredState Security Law of 1974. The Emir subsequently did not allow the Assembly to meet again or hold elections during his lifetime.
After the death ofIsa ibn Salman al-Khalifa in 1999, his son ShaikhHamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah, the new ruler of Bahrain promulgated theConstitution of 2002. That same year elections were held for theCouncil of Representatives and he appointed the members for theConsultative Council, forming the firstNational Assembly since 1975.
