Green light for new car park

By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI
A NEW mutli-storey car park building could be built soon at the Manama suq, it was announced.
The Manama Municipal Council gave its initial approval for the project at Al Fadhel neighbourhood to offer people visiting the heavily traffic congested area more parking spaces.
The new building, which could accommodate hundreds of cars, will be located opposite Al Fadhel Mosque.
"The project, which has been initiated by the Sunni Waqf (Endow-ment) Direc-torate, is something we believe would help create more parking areas for visitors to the suq," said council technical affairs committee chairman Sadiq Rahma.
"Whether the directorate decides to rent the building to companies and establishments in the suq or into park meters is something up to them, but it would be certainly better than parking on the pavement or blocking the road.
"The suq has been facing this problem for a long time, because of the expansion of businesses and offices there, without parking areas being taken into consideration.
"We have inspected the place and found it to be convenient for the project.
"It has not been decided how many storeys the building would have and it would be up to the municipality's engineers to decide about its height."
Mr Rahma called on other investors to carry out similar projects in view of the areas need for more car park areas.

Bangkok visit was at our own expense, say councillors

Foreign tours not unusual, then why has this been made an issue?Naila BarakatStaff ReporterTHE 18 municipal councillors yesterday debunked the media and defended their private trip to Bangkok.“We finished our training visit to Malaysia and we went to Bangkok to rest. We did not use government’s money. We went there at our own expense,” the deputy Chairman of the Muharraq Municipal Council, Dr Mubarak Al Junaid, told the Press.Present were Muharraq Council members Hussain Essa, Ibrahim Al Doy, Sameer Khadem, Khalifa bin Jassim and Manama Council member Shamlan Al Shamlan.“The media focused on our private visit to Bangkok and did not say anything about our Malaysia tour,” Al Junaid said, referring to reports in a local newspaper. “Such misleading reports will lead the public to think that they have not elected the right representatives.”Manama council legal affairs and financial and technical committee member Shamlan Al Shamlan referred to a report in Bahrain Tribune that the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture would investigate the matter and said: “Let me tell you that the ministry has nothing to do with the councils. There is no law that states that the ministry has the right to investigate councillors. The chairmen of all the five councils were informed about our private visit to Thailand for three nights.“The media also said the government provided BD2,200 for each councillor for the Malaysia trip and we misused that allowance. The money for this trip came from the council’s budget and that was BD1,960 each for our tour to Kuala Lumpur. It covered our airfare, accommodation, food and pocket money.” Essa refuted media reports that the visit was unnecessary as it took place towards the end of the fourth term of the councils. “The tour was for the councillors to share experience with Malaysian municipalities. We visited works and housing cities, and recycling companies among others. We will use this experience to further improve public services.”Al Shamlan said the municipal law did not say that councillors should not make visits abroad during the end of their term. “And to talk about spending so much money at the end of term, I stress that all councils had agreed on the visit.” Dr Al Junaid said: “We have conducted many tours. Why has this trip been made an issue?”

Councillors rap Bangkok report

By RASHA AL QAHTANI
MUNICIPAL councillors rounded on the media yesterday and accused newspapers of conducting a witch-hunt after details of an unscheduled two-night break in Thailand were leaked to the Press.
The GDN announced exclusively on Wednesday that 20 councillors went AWOL in Bangkok at the end of an official trip to Malaysia last week.
But some of those at the centre of the controversy called a Press conference at the Muharraq Municipal Council yesterday to defend their mini-vacation.
The Press conference was led by Muharraq Municipal Council vice-chairman Dr Mubarak Junaid, who claimed that councillors made use of their trip to stop in Bangkok to see what it offers its people.
"We benefited a lot from the trip to Thailand because we saw how they managed their transport, landscaping and roads," he said.
"But lots of newspapers attacked our trip to Thailand - making us look very bad and using very inappropriate words."
Dr Junaid also stressed that the trip to Bangkok was paid for from councillors' own pockets - not from the municipality's budget.
The GDN reported that instead of returning to Bahrain last Sunday as they were supposed to, 20 councillors decided to check themselves into the four-star Radisson Hotel in Bangkok for two nights on their way back.
They were among a group of 25 councillors who went on an official visit to Malaysia, but only five came back on time.
Some of those who decided to stay in Thailand, where they stopped to catch a connecting flight, missed council meetings last Monday as a result.
They arrived in Bahrain on Tuesday, but the trip to Malaysia was already controversial because it took place so close to the end of the councillors' four-year term due to finish in May.
"I don't know why the media took a negative point of view about the three-day trip to Thailand," said Manama Municipal Councillor Shamlan Al Shamlan.
"Some newspapers mentioned that each member received BD2,200 from the municipality, which is not true at all. We only received BD1,900."
The budget for each councillor included airfare, accommodation, food and pocket money during their stay in Kuala Lumpur.
Muharraq Municipal Council member Khalifa Al Binjassim said he thought the media approached the story very "coldly" without considering the people involved in it or their reputation.
"To publish such a story and the way they wrote about the delegation's visit to Thailand was inappropriate," he said.
"I don't know what the big deal is if we went to see another country after our work in Malaysia.
"The media looks for stories that are exciting for readers and gives no consideration to the people concerned in the story.
"This is not the first time that municipal councillors have taken a few days off from work after a trip. Why didn't they write about those trips?"
Mr Al Binjassim accused newspapers of focusing on this latest trip because of Bangkok's reputation as a place to party.
"We did not do anything wrong," he said.
"We went to Thailand to have a look at what they provided their citizens so that we and the people who come after us can benefit from the trip."
The councillors said they would now submit a report on their visit to Malaysia, which will include a section on their experience in Thailand.
However, their actions have drawn criticism from fellow councillors such as Central Municipal Councillor Sayed Abdulla Al A'ali.
Technical
He has said that nobody from the Central Municipal Council took part in the trip to Malaysia because there was so much work to do before the end of the current term, which started in May 2002.
Meanwhile, vice-chairman of Manama Municipal Council's technical and services and public utilities committees, Jaffar Al Qaidoom, also criticised the decision to extend their trip.
"The Malaysia trip was genuine considering that councillors were there to learn and get ideas that could be adopted in the future in Bahrain," he said.
"But the number of those who went was too large and the decision to stay in Bangkok delayed many projects and even threatened the cancellation of many meetings."
That is because six councillors are required to attend a council session for it to go ahead.
"Our council chairman, Murtadha Bader, was with them in Malaysia, but he came back because the two nights [in Thailand] were not from his own time - but that of the council," added Mr Al Qaidoom. "It would have been acceptable if one or two from each council who went to Malaysia decided to go to Thailand, but the large number affected the councils a lot and attracted attention."

Councillors face the music after Bangkok jaunt

By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI
MANAMA
TWENTY municipal councillors who went missing in Bangkok, Thailand, were said to be back at work yesterday. They flew back to Bahrain late on Tuesday night after going AWOL at the end of an official trip to Malaysia, according to a top municipal source. Instead of returning on Sunday as they were supposed to, they apparently decided to check themselves into the four-star Radisson Hotel in Bangkok for two nights.
The councillors were among a group of 25 who travelled to Malaysia on March 3, but only five came back to Bahrain on time after catching their connecting flight in Thailand.
Their official trip to Malaysia was already controversial because it took place so close to the end of the councillors' four-year term, which is due to finish in May.
Councillors from the Northern, Southern, Manama and Muharraq Municipal Councils took part in the visit, but none from the Central Municipal Council travelled - voting instead to stay in Bahrain to conclude work that had piled up.
The decision of 20 councillors to vacation in Thailand instead of returning to Bahrain drew fire from Central Municipal Councillor Sayed Abdulla Al A'ali.
"We (the Central Municipal Council) have managed to complete a lot of work during these two weeks, which we would have lost roaming here and there without any use," he told the GDN yesterday.
"People here expect a lot from us and I wouldn't really blame His Majesty King Hamad if he decided to scrap the councils after what happened this week.
"This is a shameful act and even if councillors didn't go for anything bad - deciding to go to Bangkok was a big mistake."
The councillors are understood to have been given BD2,200 each from the government to spend during their trip to Kuala Lumpur.
However, some of those who took part in the trip claimed they used their own cash for the sojourn to Thailand - where they paid upwards of $110 (BD41.58) a night for the hotel.
One of the councillors who stopped off in Thailand was Muharraq Municipal Councill-or Sameer Khadim, but he said they had nothing to hide.
"We were going to Bangkok anyway because our flights transited there and even the five councillors who came back went through Bangkok International Airport," he said.
"Bangkok is a good shopping destination and no one would ever miss this opportunity to shop for good quality and cheap products.
"We had this planned among us from the beginning because Bangkok is famous for its good markets.
"The money we spent there came from our own pockets and not the council's budget."
Mr Khadim argued that an extra two days absence did not affect the council's work and that he was working hard for his constituency.
"I never let my people down and they know that I have many projects that will see the light soon in Hidd," he said.
Councillor Hussain Isa, also from Muharraq, was also on the trip to Bangkok.
But he claimed that since the councillors were due back from an overseas trip on Sunday, they were not obliged to be at the council's meeting that they missed on Monday.
However, his own council chairman, Mohammed Al Wazzan, denied that anyone from his council had gone to Thailand - saying they only transited through the airport.
"This is all lies and I believe the person behind this wants to destroy the trust of the people to the councils," he claimed yesterday.
It is claimed that the councillors who went to Thailand did notify their council chairman, but did not give a reason for the visit.
Three of those who took part in the trip were from the Manama Municipal Council, according to council vice-chairman Tariq Al Shaikh.
He said he did not go, but was quick to defend his colleagues. "It is unfair and the municipal source that leaked the information has a hidden agenda against other councillors," he said.
"Everyone is entitled to a few days of recreation and our councillors are trustworthy.
"The whole country knows that none would be going there for nightlife because they are respectable and strong religiously."

Councillors’ Bangkok vacation to be probed

The government will carry out an investigation into the unofficial and unscheduled vacation of some municipal councillors in Bangkok, following their official visit to Malaysia. The Ministry of Municipalities Affairs will look into the matter and question all those councillors who decided to take vacation in Thailand, following their official tour to Kuala Lumpur from March 4 to 10, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, Dr Juma Al Ka’abi told Bahrain Tribune yesterday.“The ministry will not be able to take any action until it investigates the matter. We cannot comment without knowing the reasons and I think we have to confirm things before be take further actions,” he said. Dr Al Ka’abi said that the Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, Ali Saleh Al Saleh, did not know about the incident as he was out of the country.The delegation consisting of 23 members was headed by the Chairman of the Manama Municipal Council, Murtada Bader. It included members from all the five councils. Among the delegates were also two members from the Malaysian Gold Mark Company that organised the tour.Seven of the delegates arrived on Saturday, while the remaining 16 headed to Bangkok following the training tour to Kuala Lampur, to share the experience of Malaysian municipal councillors.Bader told the Tribune that the government paid BD1, 600 to each councillor to cover the expenses of the trip such as hotel accommodation, ticket, food and travel expenses.“Three of my councillors, Majeed Milad, Sadiq Rahma and Shamlan Al Shamlan, had informed me that they would go to Bangkok while the secretary of the Manama Council, Jassim Redha, and Northern councillor Juma Al Aswad stayed back in Malaysia. Redha could not come on time because of difficulties with his bookings. The General Director of Manama Municipality, Abdulkarim Hassan, and municipality staff Hussain Hassan returned immediately after the tour,” he said.“The councillors do not need any permission to travel to other places, but they must inform their councils. They have not applied for the leave and once they return then they will sort out their paper work.”Bader said that Manama council had a meeting in which these councillors were missing and some of the papers remained pending.

Councillors 'missing' in Bangkok

By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI
MANAMA: Twenty municipal councillors have reportedly gone AWOL in Bangkok, Thailand, instead of returning to work in Bahrain.
Twenty-five councillors went on an official visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last week, but only five returned, a top municipal source told the GDN.
The rest booked tickets to Bangkok where they are on an unscheduled vacation - even though they were supposed to be back at work on Saturday.
They apparently informed the council chairmen.
"The councillors were given BD2,200 each by the government for their (Malaysia) trip, but instead of returning home they are still abroad, which means that many files still remain pending," said the official.
"The councils haven't received any holiday request from these councillors yet, which means they are out of work without any genuine reason - something that will be dealt with seriously when they come back."
The trip was already controversial because it took place so close to the end of the councillors' term.

Masked youngsters riot in Sanabis again

MANAMA
Masked youths last night ran riot in Sanabis again, for the third consecutive day.
They blocked roads with cement blocks, set fire to rubbish bins, hurled stones at police and exploded gas cylinders.
Similar destruction in the early hours of yesterday has been heavily criticised by their local councillor.
Several cars, including a police vehicle, were damaged in the rioting on early Sunday morning.
The youths' behaviour is unacceptable, said Manama Municipal Council member Mohammed Mansoor, who represents the village.
"They are taking every opportunity to destroy, thinking that it is fun, but it is not.
"Whether the rioters are from Sanabis or outside, what is happening is unacceptable and damages Bahrain's reputation as a place of peace and calm."

Council lifts ban on building

By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI
A DECISION to halt construction of a 10-storey building in Umm Al Hassam has been reversed by the Manama Municipal Council.
The council has reconsidered its decision because the owner had acquired the licence to build before the area was reclassified.
The new regulations only allow a maximum of six-storey buildings in the area.
However, the municipality had earlier given it the green light to go up to 10 storeys under the previous classification system, which was later amended.
Municipalities and Agriculture Minister Ali Saleh Al Saleh ordered work to stop on the building for a month while the council looked into the matter.
Council technical affairs committee vice-chairman Jaffar Al Qaidoom said the contractor has also been given a one-storey extension for an 11-storey building.
"The ministry's legal consultant and the Manama Municipality lawyer have stressed that the ministry will need to compensate the owner, if they decided to scrap their old decision to give him permission for 10-storeys," he said.
"The area could take more than six-storeys and even if other buildings there are shorter, we believe that this building can be an exception.
"When the council changed the old classification system, it didn't mention anything about those with old licences under the old system and this is why we believe that the project should go ahead."
Now the building owner will have to wait for a final decision from Mr Al Saleh on whether the project should go ahead or not.
Project consultant Bahrain Engineering Bureau proprietor Khalid Jamsheer told the GDN earlier that the ministry's move was bad for business and could scare away investors.
He estimated that it could cause the entire project to fail - resulting in the land value dropping by 50 per cent from its BD40 per square foot price.
Mr Jamsheer said the project was initiated following an earlier change in the area's classification in 2004, which allowed for buildings of up to 10 storeys to be built above the ground floor.

Single-window system proposed

A single-window system to issue permits for commercial establishments can help avoid duplication of work at the Manama Municipality and the Urban Design Department.According to Manama Municipal Council secretary Jassim Redha, “The council’s technical committee discussed the duplication of process for permits by the and the municipality. The committee will hold talks with the Undersecretary of Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, Juma Al Kaabi, to stop approving urban designs and instead forward them to the municipality which is empowered to do the job. If it happens, then the unnecessary paper work can be avoided,” “The demand for permits has been increasing and people apply with the department as well as municipality. Usually, the department issues no-objection certificates but when the municipality verifies regulations and the zone status of the areas the applicants have opted for, then the problems start.“For example, an applicant wants to open a coffee shop in Basian Tower in Hoora. The department may not see anything wrong about it. But we know that due to the zoning, coffee shops are not allowed in the area,” Redha said, adding that the council intended to impress upon Dr Al Kaabi to allow the municipality to process the permits to avoid problems.“The technical committee also held talks on the Shaikh Salman Highway passing through the Ghufool roundabout to the Khamis Mosque where all buildings should have an offset margin of six metres from the road line and as much from car parks. The General Director of the Municipality, Abdulkarim Hassan, has suggested to keep only the parking margin so that we could have a straight line joining all the existing and proposed buildings.“This road is full of showrooms and the council is studying the suggestion and will seek advice from the Directorate of Roads at the Ministry of Works and Housing and the parties involved.” Redha said.The facility aims to help avoid duplication of work on permits between the municipality and the urban design department

Mini-councils at schools mooted

The aim is to increase the youngsters’ awareness about the democratic movement and the contribution of the municipal councils.THE Manama Municipal Council has mooted the idea of setting up mini councils at public schools to update the students on Bahrain’s democratic movement.In a session, the information and public relations committee said it would take up the matter with the Ministry of Education to increase awareness among youngsters about the municipal councils and their contribution to the democratic movement, the committee head, Mohammed Abdullah Mansoor, said. “Schoolchildren can also learn about democratic practices such as elections.”“The council will discuss the proposal with schools and get feedback on the municipal councils. The mini-councils will help students experience the election process by contesting various positions. From each grade there will be representatives in the council which will suggest subjects for teaching. Mansoor said they would also propose to the ministry to send students to the councils learn the work process. “We are coordinating with the ministry to receive students who can learn about the Manama Municipality and the council. Councillors will brief them on various sections of the executive offices in the municipality.”The public relations committee also studied a proposal for the Ministry of Health to mark the International Health Day. The council is planning campaigns to create awareness about bird flu and drug abuse. “We need to raise awareness about how medicines from health centres and government hospitals are being misused. The awareness campaign will be held in April.“The committee also discussed a short-story writing competition for all writers and their stories will be used by the council in its publication. The prize for the best writer will be BD2,000. The contest will be held between mid-March and mid-April. Rules and regulations will be announced soon.”He said the committee would take part in the first municipal conference to be held from March 26 to 27, under the patronage of the Prime Minister, Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.