Page 200 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

186 Records of Bahrain

CONFIDENTIAL
£
FROM BAHRAIN TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Cypher/OTP DEPARTMENTAL DTSTRIIM1TION

Mr. Qault
No, 716 D, If. 50 p.ra. October 6, 1955
October 6, 1955 R. 1.55 p.m. October 6, 1955
PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 716 of October 6
Repeated for Information to: B.M.E.O.
and Saving to: Kuwait Doha
Dubai M Muscat ,
My tolograras Nos. 7
The Ruler carao to see me this morning with Adviser to
announce that his discussion with two members of the High
Executive Committee had reached successful conclusion. To ny
surprise he said that he had deoided to agree that committees
should be set up to supervise the Education and Health Departments
and the municipalities, each composed of Government nominees and
freely elected representatives of the people. Ho read out to me
a letter he had received from members of the committee who oalled
themselves "representatives of the people", but with no reference
to the committee as such, asking for theso committees to be
approved and asking for reform in public security and the law
courts including the Civil and Criminal Code "in harmony with our
religious traditions and customs". Hope was also expressed that
the Labour law would prove of benefit both to employer and
employee.
2, The Ruler asked whether I approved of his agreeing to
all this, to which I replied, I did. I said that I regarded his
decision as great step forward and one which would improve the
situation in Bahrain.
3. The remarkable thing i3 that I do not think the Ruler
had consulted Adviser on these matters and so appears to have
made up his mind independently. Nor have I prossed him in this
t/ jparticular direction except to poijit; to the weakness of the
,.7frppllce. The committee too have in the end been ready to aaaept
' less than their most extreme demand, e.g. Legislative Council,
^ ^vVrft£bh may indioate that the moderates are, at the moment,
%
control, '. This should reduce public seourity risk, at any
rate, for the present.
A.