His Majesty delivered a speech highlighting the importance Bahrain’s journey towards democracy and excellent achievements of legislative and executive branches of the Government.
The ceremony was also attended by HRH the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, HRH Crown Prince and the Deputy Supreme Commander of the BDF Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Khalifa Al Dhahrani and Shura Chairman Ali Saleh bin Saleh.
Following is text of the speech:
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
Grace be to God and peace be upon His messenger, and upon the family, companions and followers of His messenger
Brothers and sisters, Honorable members of the National Assembly
Peace and God’s blessings be upon you
It gives us great pleasure and satisfaction to inaugurate with you today the third session of the third legislative term of the honorable National Assembly.
The new term marks the beginning of a new session of your earnest efforts anticipated by all of us as you carry out your noble mission to address and discuss all issues and matters of interest to the nation and to the citizens and put them in their legal framework.
Thus, you contribute to our collective endeavor to achieve the development and progress of our beloved homeland, Bahrain, and to enable every citizen to live in security and dignity.
We would like also to emphasize that the successful implementation of the recommendations of the National Dialogue constitutes a crucial landmark in the progress or our forward-looking movement to consecrate the one-family spirit within our community.
The views in various political, socio-economic and human rights areas reflect a genuine patriotic wish to usher in a new stage of progress in this beloved homeland and to stimulate it to attain the position it rightly deserves among the world’s nations and peoples.
Within this framework, we look with appreciation at the determined efforts exerted by the Government, the House of Representatives and the Shura Council to implement all the recommendations in cooperation with the various competent parties.
The efforts have resulted in the endorsement of significant constitutional amendments that supported the recommendations and turned them into a reality on the ground that consecrated democracy and boosted transparency, human rights and freedom of expression in the Kingdom in line with the spirit of the National Action Charter for comprehensive and continuous reforms.
The recent United Nations endorsement of the Bahrain Report on Human Rights and of its implementation of the recommendations put forth by members countries of the Human Rights Council in Geneva as well as Bahrain’s new membership in the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee confirm the trust of the international community in the Kingdom’s capacity to fulfill its international obligations.
We appreciate in this context the efforts of the Minister of Human Rights and all those who participated in accomplishing this genuine national achievement that emanated from their strong feelings for their homeland and community.
Alongside the efforts exerted to implement the recommendations of the National Dialogue and in a complementary move, efforts are being applied to implement the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry whose formation we decreed and whose members we granted the necessary privileges and immunities.
In this regard, we commend the meetings being held by the honorable Government with political societies in the country and we emphasize that the door for dialogue is open to everybody in a manner that seeks to achieve full harmony within our community and to unify efforts to build on Bahrain’s achievements.
It gives me pleasure in this context to laud the excellent constructive efforts being exerted by our dear Uncle HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, who is leading the executive authority in the Kingdom with wisdom and aptitude.
We also express our appreciation of the great efforts that reflect the ambitious aspiring spirit of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander, and which contribute to our collective endeavors for further development and progress for our beloved country.
Appreciation is also due to our brave armed forces that constitute the protective shield and trustworthy fortress to defend and protect the motherland. We thank the Interior Ministry and all its officers and personnel for their contributions in terms of security efforts and humanitarian and civilized performances that we as well as everybody else appreciate.
Brothers and sisters, members of the National Assembly,
In an age characterized by crises and fast-paced and successive transformations, be they political or economic, with impacts and repercussions across the whole world, our Gulf region has faced throughout the past three decades numerous challenges.
We have confronted them with determination through unified positions reflected in the pioneering role of the Gulf Cooperation Council and we seek with the help of God to strengthen the unity between its member states.
In this regard, we would like to welcome the upcoming 33rd GCC Summit to be convened in the Kingdom of Bahrain. We look forward to meeting our brothers, their majesties and highnesses the leaders of the GCC countries in their second home, Bahrain.
We express our gratitude and appreciation for the generous economic support the Council provides to the Kingdom of Bahrain that will contribute to reinvigorating the economy and implementing numerous major vital projects in various fields.
We will remain always keen on extending our hands of peace and genuine cooperation with all nations and peoples.
At the same time, we express the pain and anguish felt by our peaceful people and their suffering from a misled category of people who have attempted to distort Bahrain’s image abroad and to enlist support from those who are not concerned in order to interfere in our domestic affairs.
We stress our resolute rejection of any foreign interference in our domestic affairs. We also reject the dangerous escalation by that group of people on our streets and the acts of violence and terrorism against public and private properties and residents.
It is our duty to protect them from any form of violence in this beloved country.
We had never anticipated that democracy could be exploited to make demands through violence and terrorism. We have always emphasized that demands should not be made by forceful violence but rather through dialogue and national consensus as had happened in the past between the various segments of our community. No group can impose its views on the others.
Hence, we hope that your honorable Assembly will consider enacting the required legal texts that criminalize anything that attempts to erode the unity of our nation and the security of our community.
As for the Arab scene, we will remain committed to defending our legitimate Arab causes and rights, particularly the establishment of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
We do hope for an end to bloodshed in Arab lands and everywhere, especially in Syria within any frame of general accord and respect of human rights and peoples’ willpower.
Brothers and sisters, members of the National Assembly,
We appreciate the efforts of the honorable Government in addressing the comprehensive development plans and vital matters related to the everyday lives of the citizens as well as in ensuring security and stability in the country, maintaining a low unemployment rate and cooperating with your esteemed Assembly.
We urge you in this new legislative term to exert more efforts in order to fulfill our great ambitions for the sake of the honorable citizens by contributing to keeping up the growth of the economy and comprehensive development, the diversification of national revenue resources, the enhancement of performance and productivity and working with the state for the sake of youths, the assets of the future.
In conclusion, we would like at this important era in our beloved country to express our utmost gratitude and appreciation to all members of the National Assembly for their sincere patriotic performance for the benefit of all citizens.
The Kingdom of Bahrain, thanks to everybody’s cooperation, will remain prosperous and strong with its free determination.
We urge God the Almighty to provide us with guidance and to grant success to everybody in everything that pleases Him and that provides welfare to our citizens, country and nation. He is the surest guarantor and most capable of that.
(Verse from the Holy Quran: Say: Work and Allah, His Messenger and the believers observe your work)
God’s prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammed and upon all of his kinfolk and companions.
Peace and God’s blessing be upon you.