Page 89 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

Unrest among Baharmah of Manama 77
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The Manama!) Municipality consists of a council of 24
member□, of whom half are elocted and half are nominated by
the Government, under the preoidency of a eenior member of

the Ruling Family, at present Shaikh Abdullah bin Iaa
Allchallfah, with a Secretary who io nov/ Mohamcd Saleh
Shatter, a Sunni Arab. The municipality was started in 1919
and during its existence there have been many changes in its
conctitution. Originally the members represented the
various sects and nationalities living in Manamah, Sunni
Arabs, Shia Arabs, Sunni Peroians, Shin Persians, Hindus,
Jews, Moslem Indians, Saudi Arabs otc. There was no proper
system of elections or* representation and usually the same
pcoplo 3at on the council for many years. In the time of
the late ruler he himself was President of the council but
as this automatically gave the council'3 decisions the Y/cight
of Government orders His Highnoss Shaikh Hamad was persuaded
to retire from this position and to appoint one of his
relations as President of the council. For 3omc time Shaikh
Mohomod bin Isa acted as president but his frequent absence

from Bahrain made it necessury for someone else to take over
the post and Shaikh Abdulluh bin Isa Allchallfah v/as appointed
in his place.
By degrees the Government made changes in the system of
elections with the object of doing away with sectarial
distinctions. It v/as felt that too much emphasis in the
pust had been given to the quootion of Sunni and Shia
representation. In other directions too the Government
follov/ed the same policy, for exumple at one time there were
separate schools for Sunnis and Shias, today the question of
sect does not affect educational mattora and all schools are
patronised by Sunni and Slia Arabs equally.
Manamah town v/ao dividod into soven wards with one or
tv/o elected members roprosonting each ward, according to
the number of inhabitants in the v/ard. Members representing

/wardo