Hi Majesty patronised at Al Sakhir in the presence of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, a ceremony in which he endorsed the Constitutional Amendments, approved earlier by the Shura and Representatives Councils.
During the ceremony, HM King Hamad delivered the following keynote speech:
“In the name of the God Almighty, the most Merciful, the most Compassionate ,
Your Highness ,
Your Excellencies ,
Dear citizens ,
Peace and blessings be upon you .
“Today, our unified will has come to a turning point in the history of Bahrain, embodied in the implementation of the constitutional amendments that were set out in the recommendations of the National Consensus Dialogue, following the adoption by the two legislative Chambers – the Shura Council and the House of Representatives – of their full responsibilities in this respect. They have studied, reviewed, and redrafted the amendments, approved the final draft, and submitted it for our endorsement and ratification, by God’s will, as a qualitative leap of which we are proud. This move proves the exercise by our people of remarkable dialogue and exchange of views with genuine patriotic intentions, within the constitutional institutions .
“Brothers and sisters ,
“Through history, our noble ancestors have made outstanding contributions. It is true that each generation has a different approach to reforms. We, in this present generation, hold that consensus is the best way for reform. Consequently, we, in the Kingdom of Bahrain, embarked on a decade of reform in every aspect of our life. Upon our consensus, we have set together the principles and foundations of our democratic transition in the National Action Charter, which garnered overwhelming popular support, and almost unanimous consensus.
“We are keen, all the time, to preserve our plurality and common coexistence to work together to achieve the collective national interests in a manner that maintains and guarantees our progress, independence, security, and stability.
“In our Kingdom, the people elect their representatives in the municipal councils, and in the Council of Representatives, and go to the independent judiciary system and the Constitutional Court. Further, the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and assembly, participation in and contribution to public and national affairs in accordance with the Law.
“We look today on these constitutional amendments, through the participation of the legislative power in consolidating its role to oversee the government’s performance, and in continuously supporting this role to accommodate and respond to the hopes and aspirations of our citizens, and to concentrate our efforts towards establishing and supporting development projects, to open direct communication channels with the people, to hear their concerns, and to take them into consideration to best serve them, to ensure their wellbeing and dignified life. Our aim is to realize these national achievements, which are aspired to by all.
“The Bahraini people, as they have proven through many eras over their history, are resilient, resolved and capable of overcoming crises and hard times depending on their faith in Allah, their love and devotion to their country, and their persistence in strong collective national work.
“As history has proven, citizenship, unity, and participation are the pillars of the reform and development march. Thus, the doors for dialogue are wide open and national consensus our ultimate aim.
“The Kingdom, praise to Allah, marches with steadfast confidence towards the future, and our reform process enriches our experience, while the events that swept Bahrain have fueled our determination and give us more strength.
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
“The reform march we have undertaken since assuming the throne remains ongoing and will continue. Life is evolving. We hope that all national gatherings and societies will take the initiative to assess their performance to cope with the pace of development and reform.
“In conclusion, we thank all who have participated in the National Consensus Dialogue and who have contributed to the civilized transformation of our country at this crucial time when every effort is needed to go forward. Our thanks are also extended to the executive branch that has followed the proposed constitutional amendments, and to the legislative branch that has dedicated considerable time to studying, reviewing, amending, and passing the final constitutional amendments that we ratify today.
“May God protect Bahrain and its citizens and give us His help, support and guidance.
May peace and God’s blessings be upon you.”