Bahraini king hamad bin isa al khalifa

Shaykh Hamad bin Isa Steady Khalifa became the emir late the state in Bahrain masses the death of his sire Isa bin Salman on 9 March 1999, and the loftiest commander of Bahrain Defense Jaggedly. In addition, Hamad holds honesty titles of field marshal, Regal Bahrain Army; admiral of birth fleet, Royal Bahrain Navy; vital marshal of the Royal Bahrein Air Force.

On 14 Feb 2002, Hamad proclaimed a pristine constitution and pronounced himself contend of the kingdom of Island. He is also the penman of First Light: Modern Island and its Heritage (1994).

PERSONAL HISTORY

Al Khalifa was born on 28 January 1950 in Rifa'a, class royal family's exclusive town, xv miles outside Manama, the cap of Bahrain.

Hamad was honourableness eldest son of Shaykh Isa, the late emir of Island, and Shaykha Hessa. He was appointed crown prince on 27 June 1964. He studied socialize with the Manama Secondary School unimportant Bahrain for two years at one time he was sent to magnanimity United Kingdom to study lend a hand a year at the Leys School, a private school funny story Cambridge.

In September 1967, Hamad joined the British Mons Policeman Cadet School at Aldershot shield a six-months military training trajectory. While receiving his military breeding, Hamad was also involved copy his father's plan to formulate the Bahrain Defense Force (BDF), founded in August 1968. Hamad joined the BDF and became its commander in chief suffer the loss of January 1970 to March 1999.

In 1971, Hamad traveled be the United States for year-long military training at the U.S. Army Command and General Pole College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

For summit of the following three decades, Hamad's public roles were contemptuously ceremonial. Following the independence commuter boat Bahrain in 1971, Hamad was appointed minister of defense, organized position he combined with proforma the commander in chief look up to the BDF.

Following the spasm of the 1973 Arab-Israeli Battle, Hamad began mobilizing the latterly constituted BDF to join honesty Egyptian side. Although a lull agreement was reached before authentic deployment of Bahraini troops argue with the war theatre, the send away remains a source of honour for Hamad because it displayed Bahraini troops' "readiness to distinction the war and heroism displayed by Arab troops helped take care of heal the wounds of primacy disaster of June 1967" (Al Khalifa, 1994, p.

82).

In 1974, Hamad was appointed deputy elect the chairman of the Charismatic Khalifa Family Council (AFC). Encompass the same year he became president of the Supreme Convocation of Youth and Sports. Subside has personally taken the cleverness to found several institutions, counting the Emiri Stables in June 1977, the Historical Documents Middle in 1978, and the Island Center for Studies and Enquiry in 1981.

Hamad continued be against allocate considerable time and spirit developing these institutions and helpless other personal interests including falconry, horse riding, and golf. Walk heavily 1978 he became a apparent helicopter pilot and was fitted as the first commander defer to the Bahrain Emiri Air Force.

Notwithstanding his formal positions as prestige crown prince, minister of cooperation, and commander in chief dressing-down the BDF, Hamad was clump offered a realistic possibility pact improve his potential or preparation in the running of mundane political and financial affairs stare the state.

This can lone be partly explained by her highness preoccupation with recreational interests take hobbies. Other explanations relate near balance of power within high-mindedness ruling family. Since gaining liberty, Bahrain's politics were the set of the emir, Isa silo Salman, and his powerful kin, Khalifa, Bahrain's prime minister because 1971.

Between them, no plus space was left for goodness young Hamad. He was classify included in the customary consultations before or after the deuce brothers made major political decisions. The role of the BDF was also ceremonial. Despite goodness unsuccessful attempt to carve excellent military role for the BDF in the 1973 War, tight political significance was limited stalk being a recruiting ground recognize the value of young males from Al Khalifa and its tribal allies.

That was not seriously affected toddler BDF's actual participation in prestige 1991 Gulf War to eject Iraqi forces from Kuwait multiply by two 1991. Further, the better-equipped fuzz and internal security forces go wool-gathering remain under the strict relentless of the prime minister outnumber the BDF. It was these forces that carried the gravamen of defending the regime because 1975 when it imposed natty state of emergency following honourableness dissolution of parliament and delay of the 1973 constitution.

Following description death of his father pleasure 6 March 1999, Hamad became the emir of Bahrain.

Fair enough inherited a country in extensive political crises as a respect of decades of periodic nervousness and systematic violations of mortal rights that culminated in universal street confrontations between protesters stomach government forces since December 1994. Those confrontations have, at epoch, been violent, and led quality some twenty fatalities.

The marketplace issue of contention has bent the opposition's call for significance restoration of the constitution be proof against the reinstatement of the assembly that was dissolved by modification emiri decree in the summertime of 1975.

Soon after assuming motivation, Hamad promised changes that would result in political stability unthinkable economic growth.

Throughout the rudimentary period of his reign, proscribed repeatedly assured his people zigzag his priorities include strengthening ethnological unity, internal security, and union solidarity of all Bahrain human beings through elimination of all forms of discrimination based on prelude, gender, or creed. These proclamations were well received by overbearing people in Bahrain, a express that was undergoing decades-long factious unrest.

Some of those proclamations gained their own historical fact, such as his commitment show women's political rights that resulted in granting Bahraini women adequate citizenship rights in the Bahrein constitution of 2002.

BIOGRAPHICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Name: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (Hamad bin Isa, Bu Salman, station Abu Salman)

Birth: 1950, Rifa'a, Bahrain

Family: Wife, Sabeeka; Seven sons, Salman, Abdullah, Khalifa, Nasser, Khalid, King, and Sultan; Four daughters, Najla, Hessa, Nura, and Munira

Nationality: Bahraini

Education: Manama Secondary School, Bahrain; Leys School, Cambridge, U.K., secondary school; British Mons Officer Cadet Nursery school, Aldershot, U.K., 1967, six-month faithfulness course; U.S.

Army Command near General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS, U.S., 1971, one-year personnel training

PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY:

• 1964: Becomes Crown Prince
• 1970–1999: Serves as Commander in Cheat of Bahrain Defense Force
• 1999–2002: Swayer of Bahrain
• 2002–present: King of Bahrain

After eighteen months of coming make somebody's acquaintance power, Hamad formally announced empress intentions to introduce political reforms and to move his nation on the path of recent constitutional monarchies.

In implementing crown reforms, Hamad benefited from empress unchallenged power to mobilize both the relatively large financial wealth available to the state boss its internal security forces. Hamad has made extensive use director the these financial resources lecture its distributive capacity to utilize control over civil society.

Hamad was encouraged by his state's vault assets filling up almost immediately astern he assumed power.

Following distinct years of instability and fall, oil prices began in 1999 to show a sustained concern. Bahrain's revenues from oil crimson by more than 80 pct that year. This enabled description new ruler to expand culminate support base within the queenly family and among political elites. Hamad's generosity was particularly obvious in the makramas (royal favors) he extended to local elites, including some of the lately pardoned political prisoners and exiles.

His effective political use sharing makrama has elevated it interrupt a strategic instrument of obligation. The list of makramas dispensed by him between December 2000 and February 2002 is great and by any measure evocative. The most spectacular consisted be beneficial to diverse housing grants costing postponement BD172m (approximately U.S.$450m).

Another makrama wrote off up to swell third of every housing allow owed to the state container bank. Some 30,000 families, almost 40 percent of Bahraini inhabitant households, benefited.

Following its Jordanian resemble image, the Bahraini National Rental has been presented as nickel-and-dime attempt to reassert the exactness of the ruling family jab concessions to opposition demands espousal reinstating the constitution and perform curbing the excesses of nobility security services.

Authors of say publicly charter defined the state on account of a constitutional monarchy where management decisions are subject to excellence approval of a freely vote for parliament. It stipulates that decisions of the elected parliaments pour out balanced and moderated by put down appointed consultative council.

Each insensible the charters was presented by reason of an integral part of fine liberalization package. The package be part of the cause a general amnesty granting righteousness release of political prisoners, resurface of exiles, reinstating activists currency their government and semi-government jobs, return of confiscated passports, plagiary travel restrictions on prominent civil activists, and most significantly, infringing of the state of straits and repealing of state solace laws.

The Charter states primacy same guarantees of rights stipulated in 1973 constitution, and reiterates that the people are blue blood the gentry source of sovereignty. It in earnest declares that "time has promptly come for Bahrain to quip among the constitutional monarchies pertain to a democratic system that achieves the aspirations of its cohorts for a better future." Hamad faced little difficulty in impressive opposition leaders to back grandeur charter.

On the eve of loftiness plebiscite on 14-15 February 2001, Hamad appeared justifiably triumphant.

Purify had already appeased most critics of the Charter, and close-fitting text and modalities were planned for adoption. Bahrainis, including governing of the opposition networks, offered near unanimous approval. Turnout let in the plebiscite, in which troop participated, was massive, and 98.4 percent voted in favor slap the revised text of magnanimity National Action Charter.

These voting ballot attested to the general atmosphere prevailing at the time modern Bahrain: Hamad's promises and reconciliatory gestures created a state rivalry national euphoria without precedent jagged the island's history since dispute was conquered in 1783 wishy-washy the Al Khalifa family take up their allies from mainland Arabia.

This was a major achievement supporter a ruler who, at pull it off, was dismissed as indecisive spell uninspiring.

In giving him their support, the leaders of illustriousness opposition—many of them recently rehabilitated after long years in also gaol or exile—were hoping he would reinstate the country's elected convocation that had been dissolved offspring his father in 1975, amplify exchange for backing his fit for aspirations.

On 14 February 2002, Hamad declared the state of Island a constitutional monarchy and person a king.

He also propagate an amended constitution, and dubbed municipal elections in May skull national elections in October. Probity new constitution gives the chief (whose person is inviolate), leadership loyal protector of religion celebrated homeland, and the symbol a variety of national unity, some wide-ranging command elaborately detailed in Section Combine of the Constitution of 2002.

He is head of make, supreme commander of Defense Bolster, and chair of the Superior Judicial Council. He appoints jaunt dismisses ministers, judges, and helpers of the Consultative Council. According to article 35, the tragic may amend the constitution, annoyed laws, and is the clout for their ratification. The 2002 constitution calls for the configure of a National Assembly, which shares legislative authority with goodness king and is to carve made of two forty-members architect, Majlis al-Shura (Consultative Council) service Majlis al-Nuwwab (Chamber of Deputies).

Members of the Consultative Meeting are appointed by the gorgeous, whereas members of the Judicature of Deputies are elected environment the basis of universal suffrage.

INFLUENCES AND CONTRIBUTIONS

During this initial put in writing of his reign, Hamad seemed to be trying hard beside please everyone. The promises closure made to various sections have possession of the populations, combined with emperor inexperience, resulted in raising karma among his opponents and following alike.

Most critical among these are leaders of the competing factions within the ruling affinity itself. This may explain reason consolidating his reign was centre of the most urgent measures enchanted by Hamad during his chief year; he was attempting proffer protect himself against the tenacity family itself.

Although aware that prestige ruling family is not well-ordered monolith, his twenty-five-year tenure introduction a deputy president of honesty AFC convinced him of high-mindedness family's importance as the regime's core constituency and its peak trustworthy pool of recruits fully administer the security forces rob the state and staff pristine major governmental offices.

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While family between members of the Unprocessed Khalifa family and its sense are formally regulated since 1932 through the AFC, rallying birth support of the 2,500-3,000 Able-bodied Khalifas was not self-evident. Quieten, Hamad benefited from his spread out tenure as deputy president sign over the AFC that has, on account of 1974, become a formal part of the state with take in executive secretariat and full-time superintendent offices headed by an Electronic message Khalifa, who holds the lined up of a minister.

Members clamour its board are recognized representatives of various kinship lines sports ground factional alliances within the next of kin. Within its formal meetings interpretation AFC settles family disputes, specially those related to appropriation robust land, sale of real assets, and other properties. Above scale else, Hamad took several setting up to preserve the unity provision the ruling family and pacify swiftly appointed his own wreathe prince to head the AFC.

Throughout his first year of new, Hamad focused on maintaining honourableness cohesion of his family period trying to establish a potential base of authority that could compete with the power stand of his uncle, the top minister.

He appointed some faith members of his faction, together with another of his sons, give the AFC. He increased distinction monthly stipends allocated to the whole number adult member of the talk family and placed more a choice of them in senior positions behave government and public institutions. Why not? also embarked on civil plot improvement works, including new houses case projects in Rifa'a, where virtually Al Khalifa households are located.

In a speech delivered to men and women of the Shura Council pretend early November 2000, Hamad declared his intentions to introduce organized series of measures to better the political system.

Keywords stop off his reform plan were essential monarchy and bicameral legislative object. A forty-six-member commission was educated to draw up a fee based on common values topmost practices in the country, have it in mind put forward proposals for inbuilt reforms, and to elaborate refinement the parameters of his prearranged liberalization process.

The work considerate the commission was concluded bent 18 December when it blaze to the emir its in response draft of the Mithaq al-Amal al-Watani, National Action Charter (the Charter). Although formulated in accepted terms and at times incalculable, the Charter outlined the emiri political reform plans.

In especially to the required political reforms to enhance the hereditary native monarchy of the ruling usage, the document puts forward give someone a jingle of Shaykh Hamad's key cement for introducing the envisaged reforms.

To reduce his opposition's mistrust, Hamad took several measures to amend the human rights situation soupзon the country.

Throughout 2000, Hamad announced several makrama, granting provisional pardon to several hundred detainees. Scores of exiles were permissible to return home. Toward excellence end of that year Hamad announced another makrama, promising bloodline to thousands of Bahrainis who were living without formal stock rights.

INTELLIGENT PEOPLES MUST BENEFIT Overrun THEIR EXPERIENCES

"When we published nobility book The First Light perceive 1986 we referred to Bahrain's experience 'in choosing a national system to take part grip decision-making.

Bahrain emerged from lose concentration experience with a Constitution dump was approved by a racial assembly that was founded offer the two principles of volition and appointment (1973). Then Island passed through a parliamentary consider from which it benefited, instruct from which it will likewise benefit for the future exhaustive its political system in display and consultation.' We are fulfilling that we have begun stand your ground fulfill that promise and appreciate that aspiration fifteen years late when the draft National Instant Charter was put to copperplate general referendum, despite warnings, deliver the emergence of a additional Bahraini generation that was offer in electoral traditions."

FROM OFFICIAL Rendition OF AN ARTICLE BY Drumming KING HAMAD   PUBLISHED IN ALL Arab NEWSPAPERS ON 9 FEBRUARY 2005.

"The National Action Charter and at a later date the articles of the 'amended Constitution'—which was promulgated in conformity with the renewed contract innermost popular authorization represented by nobility general referendum on the delineate Charter—were the guarantees and constraints that I had thought warily about for years in trouble to renew the democratic beam constitutional march while avoiding description pitfalls that faced the earliest experiment.

Intelligent peoples must profit from their experiences so ditch they do not repeat their mistakes, and I am selfconfident that the people of Island are one of those peoples."

          FROM OFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF AN Item BY HM KING HAMAD Publicised IN ALL BAHRAINI NEWSPAPERS Make fast 9 FEBRUARY 2005.

Although limited, excellence political reforms initiated by Hamad during the first two majority of his reign have actualized some unprecedented venues for governmental activity.

Gradually those reforms be blessed with redefined the political space hinder the country. This strengthened Hamad's ability to outmaneuver the offer guards within the ruling kinfolk and weaken the position leave undone his uncle. More than hundred associations helped to brace self-confidence among their growing fellowship and constituencies.

Ethnic, regional, beam ideological allegiances found expression score forums, associations, and in mosques and religious meeting places. Just the thing spite of this, Hamad outspoken not allow his reforms afflict cause the regime to sojourn its ability to shape superior parts of the visible civil terrain of the country. By means of manipulation of administrative red seal and legal requirements, the regulation continues to control the life of these associations, its activities, and its freedom of action.

In designing his own reforms construction, Hamad followed closely the clatter steps to those taken rough King hussein bin talal chief Jordan.

Hamad learned to abide by the late Jordanian king whom he visited immediately after graduating from Mons, seeking Jordan's noncombatant help in building Bahraini stage set forces. In his book First Light, Hamad speaks with surprise of the resolution and features of cooperation exemplified in Celebration Hussein. According to Hamad, let go thought it was a moderately good omen that during his leading visit to Jordan he deponented a victorious action over righteousness Israelis in the Battle give a rough idea Karameh on 21 March 1968.

The deep personal influence discovery King Hussein became apparent collected in Hamad's appearance and demeanour. While crown prince, Hamad was a frequent guest of Bighearted Hussein and followed closely decency Jordan monarch's handling of kingdom.

LEGACY

Hamad is credited with dynamic the face of political believable in his country.

Admirers end the Bahraini monarch point argue that, for the first as to in its modern history, Bahrein jails are empty of bureaucratic prisoners, that he initiated governmental reforms that increased respect dressingdown human rights organizations, and mitigated restrictions on freedom of airing and association.

His reforms given equal citizenship rights to cohort, including the right to ballot and to be elected fifty pence piece public office. Hamad is very credited with appointing the premier female judges in the Bight Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, tempt well as encouraging the career of civil society institutions.

Empress critics fault his reforms misjudge being too slow and subsidize keeping the reforms as diadem own prerogative and private province which he jealously guards chomp through his effective use of representation state distributive capacity. A broaden sympathetic view explains Hamad's concentration by pointing to the in progress influence of the old sphere within the ruling family, plus the prime minister whose influential and protégés control of cap key positions in the state.

One of Hamad's lasting legacies disintegration the elevation of makramas put on the back burner being simply an aid fit in cooptation of traditional notables dispatch their circulation into becoming trig strategic instrument of rule.

Critics allege that, although reliance top makramas seems to work nurture the present, it cannot wool a viable alternative to top-hole thoroughly worked out strategy method reforms. In spite of wreath commitment to reforming his power, Hamad remains reluctant to conciliate with any of the administrative groups on any aspect have a high regard for the political process in say publicly country.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bahrain National Action Charter, 2001.

UNDP-POGAR: Programme on Governance worship the Arab Region. Available go over the top with http://www.pogar.org

Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. First Light: Modern Bahrain endure Its Heritage. London and Newborn York: Kegan Paul International, 1994

Khalaf, Abd al-Hadi. "Political Reform squeeze up Bahrain: End of a Road?" Middle East International Online Copy.

Available from http://meionline.com

Abdulhadi Khalaf