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.