Politics of Bahrain has since 2002 taken place in a framework of a constitutional monarchy where the government is appointed by the King of Bahrain, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The head of the government since 2020 is Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who became Prime Minister following the death of Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and who also serves as Deputy Commander of the Bahrain Defence Force. The parliament is a bicameral legislature, with the Council of Representatives elected by universal suffrage, and the Consultative Council appointed directly by the king.
The National Assembly is bicameral with the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, having 40 members elected in single-seat constituencies for a four-year term. The upper house, the Shura Council, has 40 members appointed by the King of Bahrain, with the stated aim of giving a voice to minority communities and technocratic experts within the legislative process. Supporters of the system refer to long established democracies the United Kingdom and Canada operating with this bicameralism with an appointed upper chamber and an elected lower chamber. Opponents of this system point out that unlike the bicameral systems in the UK and Canada, the Bahraini system gives the unelected upper house equal or more legislative power than the elected lower house, allowing the King to control all legislation. Opponents also point out that the current system was imposed unilaterally by the King, violating the 1973 Constitution and a 2001 signed agreement with the Bahraini opposition.
Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, sometimes shortened to simply Al-Wefaq, was a Shi'a Bahraini political party, that operates clandestinely after being ordered by the highest court in Bahrain to be dissolved and liquidated. Although from 2006 to 2011 it was by far the single largest party in the Bahraini legislature, with 18 representatives in the 40-member Bahraini parliament, it was often outvoted by coalition blocs of opposition Sunni parties and independent MPs reflecting gerrymandering of electoral districts. On 27 February 2011, the 18 Al-Wefaq members of parliament submitted letters of resignation to protest regime violence against pro-reform Bahraini protestors.
Ali Salman Ahmed Salman is a Bahraini Twelver Shi'a cleric and the Secretary-General of the Al-Wefaq political society. In January 1995, the Bahraini government forcibly exiled him to Dubai for leading a popular campaign demanding the reinstatement of the constitution and the restoration of parliament during the 1990s Uprising. From there he made his way to London and sought asylum. He continued opposition activities from London, where he was associated with the Bahrain Freedom Movement. Salman returned to Bahrain in March 2001 in a general amnesty as part of a set of political reforms announced by King Hamad.
Bahrain has had two constitutions in its modern history. The first one was promulgated in 1973, and the second one in 2002.
Women face widespread discrimination within Bahraini society and the country's political institutions. Women's rights have been a cornerstone of the political reforms initiated by King Hamad. The extension of equal political rights has been accompanied by a conscious drive to promote women to positions of authority within government. However, women in Bahrain continue to face gender inequality in many areas of life.
The Council of Representatives, sometimes translated as the "Chamber of Deputies", is the name given to the lower house of the Bahraini National Assembly, the national legislative body of Bahrain.
General elections were held in Bahrain in November and December 2006 to elect the forty members of the Council of Representatives. The first round of voting was held on 25 November, with a second round on 2 December 2006.
Bahrain is divided into four governorates: the Capital, Northern, Southern and Muharraq. The Central Governorate was abolished in September 2014.
General elections were held in Bahrain in October 2010 to elect the forty members of the Council of Representatives. The first round of voting was held on 23 October, with a second round on 30 October. Amidst boycotts and arrests, Al Wefaq won 18 of the 40 seats. Four women were elected.
General elections were held in Bahrain on 24 October 2002 to elect the forty members of the Council of Representatives, with a second round on 31 October 2002. They were the second general elections in the country's history, and the first since the dissolution of the 1973 National Assembly.
Eighteen parliamentary by-elections were held in Bahrain in 2011 following the resignation of 18 MPs from the largest political party in parliament, Al Wefaq, in protest at governmental actions during the Bahraini uprising. Security forces closed Pearl Roundabout and attacked protestors in the village of Sanabis. The elections were held using a two-round system, with the first round on 24 September and the second on 1 October 2011 in the constituencies where no candidate had received a majority of the vote in the first round.
Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Dhahrani is a Bahraini politician, who served as Speaker of the Council of Representatives of Bahrain.
The following is an incomplete timeline of events that followed the Bahraini uprising of 2011 from July to December 2011. This phase saw many popular protests, escalation in violence and the establishment of an independent government commission to look into the previous events.
Tashan (Arabic:طشان) is a village located in the Kingdom of Bahrain, on the western outskirts of the capital city Manama. It is a village adjacent to Bilad Al Qadeem but significantly smaller.
General elections were held in Bahrain in November 2014 to elect the forty members of the Council of Representatives. The first round of voting took place on 22 November, with a second round on 29 November in the 34 constituencies in which no candidate received a majority.
Jawad Fairooz is a human rights defender and former Bahraini Member of the Council of Representatives (Bahrain), rendered stateless in 2011. Whilst in exile in the United Kingdom, Fairooz became the chairman of Salam for Democracy and Human Rights . He founded Salam for Democracy and Human Rights in 2015.
Abdul Hakim Ibrahim Muhammad Al-Shammari is a Bahraini businessman and politician.
Abdul Nabi Salman Ahmed Nasser is a Bahraini politician. He was sworn into the Council of Representatives on December 12, 2018 to represent the Sixth District of the Northern Governorate.
General elections were held in Bahrain on 12 November 2022 to elect the 40 members of the Council of Representatives, with a second round in some constituencies on 19 November.
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