Bahrain: Parliament resumes after five months

Parliamentary sessions resumed on 16 October following a five-month holiday; its agenda includes 27 draft laws: five bilateral agreements, four new laws, 14 replies to law proposals previously submitted by MPs and four laws previously presented by the Shura Council upper chamber. MPs will also review the government’s reply to 20 parliamentary proposals submitted to the previous legislative session. These include building schools and specialised autism centres, paying students monthly allowances, building car parks and other services-related requests. There was no mention of the crisis with Shia communities or regional tensions in official communiqués.