Floods action plan 'ignored'

By TARIQ KHONJI
FLOODING which ruined people's homes and brought peril to the roads is being blamed on the government.
Drainage systems are lacking or badly maintained, roads poorly designed and there is no emergency action plan to cope with flooding in place, says a municipal councillor.
Road accidents and housing problems could have been avoided if a plan had been in place, says Capital Municipal Council member Sadiq Ahmed Ali Rahma.
He blamed the Works and Housing Ministry's Sewage Directorate for failing to maintain drainage systems alongside roads.
"It seems the directorate just doesn't care," said Mr Rahma. "They should have a special emergency response plan and they should have been ready for this.
"We all know this is the rainy season, so why didn't they make preparations beforehand?
"A lot of drainage systems are blocked because they are badly maintained. They should have started working on them two months early."
Mr Rahma named Al Suwaisa Road, the Pearl Roundabout, Shaikh Salman Highway, King Faisal Highway, Salmaniya Road and parts of Gudaibiya as being particularly challenging.
Some roads are also badly designed, with slopes pushing rainwater away from the drainage into people's homes, claimed Mr Rahma.
Mr Rahma said this was the case in blocks 314 in Nuaim, 302 in Manama, 303 and 302 in Juffair, and parts of Nabih Saleh and Burhama. The ministry did not comment.

Council lesson for 20 students

By MOHAMMED AL A' ALI
CHILDREN were allowed to take part in a Manama Municipal Council meeting for the first time yesterday, even giving feedback to councillors on problems they are facing in their areas.
Twenty Umm Ayman Primary School for Girls students were present at the meeting, which saw councillors divided into four committees and the new chairmen elected.
Al Wefaq's Sadiq Al Basri was elected as financial, administrative and legislative committee chairman, with council vice-chairman Al Menbar's Tariq Al Shaikh and Al Wefaq's Sadiq Rahma as members.
Al Wefaq's Fadhel Abbas was elected as public relations and information committee chairman, with Mr Al Basri, Mr Rahma and Khamis Al Rumaihi as members.
Al Wefaq's Abdulmajeed Al Sebea'a was elected as technical committee chairman, with Mr Abbas, Mr Al Rumaihi and Al Wefaq's Hameed Al Basri as members.
The services and public utilities committee chairmanship is still undecided with Mr Al Shaikh and Mr Al Basri both competing for the post.
Other committee members are Mr Al Sebea'a and Mr Al Rumaihi.
Council chairman Majeed Millad Al Jazeeri said the council was just beginning work.
"The children present with us are here to direct us in our council work, as we begin our four-year term," he said.
"Whether the problems are roads, sewage or lighting - they have addressed us hoping that we could find solutions to them.
"The students' presence has given councillors encouragement because it shows that people believe that the councils are important to the country and its development.
"We are here to provide services to the people and what better way than to listen to problems from children."
He said the new experience of having children at the meeting was beneficial.
"Now councillors have a greater role, not just serving their constituencies' eligible voters, but even children - who have high hopes and ambitions for councillors," he said.
"I hope that other schools would attend our meetings for further support, because the children's presence has really made us proud."

Four council posts decided

By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI
MANAMA
FOUR new municipal council chairmen and vice-chairmen were elected yesterday.
Former Southern Municipal Council vice-chairman Al Asala's Ali Al Mohannadi was elected unopposed as chairman, while re-elected councillor Yousif Al Dossari was unopposed as vice-chairman.
Former Central Municipal Council services committee chairman Abdulrahman Al Hassan was elected unopposed, while former council vice-chairman Abbas Mahfoodh was also re-elected to the post.
Newly-elected councillors were sworn in at separate council meetings, attended by Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs Under-Secretary Dr Juma Al Ka'abi and outgoing members.
"It is a very promising beginning for all of us and everyone here is eager to succeed," said Dr Al Ka'abi.
"There is no doubt that councils have been instrumental in municipal work and its development over the past four years.
"Hopefully those newly elected will continue in that path for better services to everyone.
"The councils are the link between the people and the government in regard to services and this is why councillors have a great responsibility."
A workshop for new councillors is already lined up with the relevant ministries, he said.
"Councillors should show up for that workshop because it will guide them to the best way of serving the people," said Dr Al Ka'abi.
At the Southern council meeting, outgoing chairman Khalid Al Buainain said that words could not list the council's achievements over the past four years, despite serious problems.
"We were brought to our offices in October in 2002 with promises that we would be helped in every way possible," he said.
"We came in and discovered that there were no employees, no offices, a weak employment budget and on top of that a controversial municipal law.
"But this didn't put us down, as we managed to get many important projects, like new public parks, road improvements, investment projects and have even managed to get dilapidated houses torn down and rebuilt or renovated.
"We have done our best and people should forgive me, in my failures as a chairman.
"I hope that the new councillors will fight for the good of the people regardless of their family or background.
"People are anxious to get better municipal work and it is up to each and everyone of you to help ensure that."
Mr Al Mohannadi was happy with his colleagues' trust and said he hoped to continue his plans to develop the council.
"There are a lot of challenges, but with our joint efforts they will all end and the dawn of a new era will begin," he said.
At the Central council meeting, outgoing chairman Ibrahim Fakhro said that the council was the best amongst all councils because of the coherence between its members, regardless of their political allegiance.
"Whether Al Wefaq, Al Asala or Al Menbar, everyone was working as a loving family without any political issue spoiling our unity," he said.
"Services are not politics and serving the people has been and will continue being our main purpose, regardless of our political belief.
"The former council has inked that out and new councillors should follow it, unless they want to harm the people, who have high hopes on them."
Mr Al Hassan said that the path laid by the late chairman Ibrahim Hussain, who died from a sudden illness in October, would continue.
"It is not about religious belief, it is about dedicating your time to the people," he said.
A farewell party was held yesterday at Gulf Hotel's Zehla restaurant to honour outgoing Northern Municipal Council members.
Journalists who have covered the councils over the past four years were also honoured at the event. Speaking at the event were former council chairman Sayed Majeed Al Sayed and newly elected chairman Yousif Al Bouri.

Chairmen elected

Mr Bader congratulates Mr Al Jazeeri on the chairmanship
By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI
MANAMA
CHAIRMEN and vice-chairmen of three municipal councils were elected yesterday at their councils' first meetings. Al Wefaq's Majeed Millad Al Jazeeri was elected unopposed as chairman for the Manama Municipal Council, while Al Menbar's Tariq Al Shaikh was elected vice-chairman. The Muharraq Municipal Council elected independent Mohammed Hammada as chairman and Al Asala's Abdulnasser Yousif Al Mahmeed as vice-chairman. Al Wefaq's Yousif Al Bouri was elected chairman unopposed, while Al Wefaq's Ali Al Jabal was named vice-chairman.
Present at the meetings, where newly elected councillors were sworn in, was Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs Municipalities Under-Secretary Dr Juma Al Ka'abi and outgoing members.
"We wish every new councillor success in municipal work, which is one of His Majesty King Hamad's pillars for democratic progress," said Dr Al Ka'abi.
"Councils are the link between service ministries and the people, who have demands and needs.
"Over the past four years, during our first experience with the councils, councillors have managed to serve people in the best way possible and projects like public parks, renovations of houses and other municipal programmes are a great example of that."
Dr Al Ka'abi said that among the achievements is Sitra Mall, which has been built on His Majesty King Hamad's expense to serve the people of the area.
He stressed the importance of co-operation between the councils and the government.
"A workshop for new councillors is already lined up with the relevant ministries," said Dr Al Ka'abi.
Outgoing council chairman Murthada Bader at the Manama council meeting broke down in tears as he addressed new and former council members.
"I am saying goodbye to the work I have dedicated a lot of time too, because I fell in love with it and I don't know how my days will be with me out of the council," he said.
"To those who will leave with me after a few minutes, you have done an outstanding job over the past four years and your efforts are the foundation of municipal work."
He told new councillors that there were still many challenges and continued demands for the municipal law to be further improved.

Meeting to finalise top council positions

AN URGENT meeting of newly-elected Central Municipal Council members will be held today to nominate candidates for chairman and vice-chairman.
A formal meeting will be held on Thursday, when the official votes will be taken for the two key posts and others. Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs Ministry Under-Secretary Dr Juma Al Ka'abi will attend the meeting.
Al Wefaq has four members on the council and one of them, re-elected councillor and former vice-chairman Abbas Mahfoodh, who met Al Wefaq secretary-general and newly-elected MP Shaikh Ali Salman, hopes to emerge from the talks as either chairman or vice-chairman.
"A balance must be achieved in the council, so if an Al Asala or Al Menbar member is chairman, then the vice-chairman should be from Al Wefaq, or vice-versa," said Mr Mahfoodh, who is Al Wefaq's municipal bloc chairman for the Central Governorate.
"We have already decided that Al Menbar's Tariq Al Shaikh should remain as vice-chairman at the Manama Municipal Council.
He said Al Wefaq held the Central Municipal Council chairmanship for four years, until the death of Ibrahim Hussain in October.
"Even though we were still the majority, we had independent councillor Ibrahim Fakhro as chairman for the remaining two months," said Mr Mafoodh.
"When I go to the meeting I hope that councillors will leave behind any sectarian or political agenda, because this is not parliament, this is a council.
"It is either Al Menbar's Abdulrahman Al Hassan as chairman and me as vice-chairman, or vice-versa. I hope that we reach an agreement which ensures fairness," he said.