Page 167 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Constitutional reforms, 1955 153

LUH

THE IIIOII EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, BA1IRA1TI.
G
Tlic pooplo have takon tills at.titudo towards tlio committoo bocnuso it lias boon
formod as ohallange and oountor action of tlio Oovornmont tlioir drsires, and the
Government liao triod by this to divide tlio pooplo *3 unity and mako thorn forgot
tlioir principal domands, Mo surpri3o thon tliat it was bqycottod by tho pooplo
and tlioir roprooontativos, Howevor evon so tho reports submitted by tills
committoo so far on tho education and health dopartmont liavo been put asido and
tho now health and advisory committoo as announood by tho Government in contradic­
tion to wliat tlii3 investigation committeo lias rocommcndod, servoo a proof to what
we say, Tills shows how far tho pooplo are conscious of wliat in going on and how
much ho knpws and understands.
5-7) Wo liavo alroady commented on tlicso points covering the newly
established health and education advisory committoo and tho committeo of labour.
No further comments hero neod to bo made.
Coming to tho third element ite, the participation of tho peoplo in the
constitutional institutation open to them wo notioo the memorandum states that
tills elemonts seems to bo lucking booauso of tho attitude adopted by our "GROUP”
wliich lias refuse to testify beforo the Govornmcnt committeo and lias made difficul­
ties about participating in the labour committoe rrd wliich is trying to prevent
individuals and accepting invitations to sorve on tho department committees".
Doforo commenting on theso un-foundod criticism, we take tho statement of
the memorandum describing theso formal and minor Majlis and Committees in the
country wliich we liavo already described fully, as constitutional institutions
wliich is surely a mis-statoinont of fact arxl playing ’with words. The first elonicnt
of a constitutioanl institution is tho depondabilitation of tho wild, of tho
pooplo and tliat the pooplo are being fairly represented through a gonoral free
and un-basod election all of theso wliich oanTd be stated as existing or part, of
tlioso committees and majlio described by tho memorandum, Tho first and tho
fundamental domand of the people is the oroation of the loglstatlvo assolnbly to be
olooted by it to discuss and decide in the major intornal policies of the country
and not such formal of appointed membors to discuss minor points wliich do not
conflict with the interests of tho one personas opperassivc rule. The mer.iorandu-m
lia3 described tho High Executive Committeo as a "GnOUP" and started accusing it
and criticising. Wo did not expect a responsible authority in Her Dritannic
Majesty's Oovornmont to bo unwaro of the fact and tlie existing situation which
everybody knows, and that tho High Ebceoutivc Coinuittoe in the roul and truthful
representative of the peoplo of Balirain and speaks on its hohalf. Knowing that
the British Government knows all details large and small in tills country, we liave
no explanation for tills description of tho British Government to the IlLgh Executive
Committoo , oxcopt that II.B. M's lias tried by tills doscrlption to ignore and not
rooognisc or acknowledge tho fact tliat it in the pooplo who apposed tlioso pretending
and calming unconstitutional moans for a reason which the memorandum should havo
tried to traco and find, as it is illogical and un-natural to.-ba.for a whole peoplo
to oppose reformatory moasuros wliich believe to bo in there own interest, and
respond and accept a statemont by a "GROUP" of people as it is claimod by the
memorandum,
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