Page 7 - Records of Bahrain (7) (ii)_Neat

The Ruling Family 397

comnmmjhL ■
1016/b/50 II.w. Political Agency,
Bahrain.
Despatch No, 9
March 10, 1990.

Gir,
I have the honour to inform Your bxcelloncy that on Kriciay,
the _$1st of January, Shaikh Salman, the Ruler of Bahrain, in tho
course of tho regular Priday morning mooting oi tho Al Khalll’a
tarnily at the palace at Kifa'a, announced tho appointment of his
oldest son, Shaikh Isa, as his heir, The appointment was
approved by those members of tho Ai Khalifa present ana u brief .
stutemont on the appointment was broadcast the same evening by

the Uahruin wireless station.
2. I learned of the Shaikh's action in the course of u'riuuy
and also that the appointment of Shuikh Isa to ho liis heir was
to be broadcast that same evening. As the matter, by the time
I learned of it, was general knowledge (the Shaikh had not
previously discussed it with me) and as I die not consider that
there were any grounds for opposing, the appointment, I did not
feel it either necessary or desirable to make any represent*tion
to the Ruler on the subject, particularly as on (Saturday it
became clear that the appointment was meeting with the approval
oi the great majority of the people of Bahrain, As you woie
absent on tour in the Trucial States I decided to call on the
i\ulor on the Sunday morning and congratulate him on the appoint-
'
ment. As 1 think you are av/uro, I have considered for some time
>
that Shuikh Isa would be the best successor to his father, in
spite of tho fact that we believe that there were at least two
other claimants namely the Ruler's youngest brother, Shaikh ikij
win Uumud and u cousin, Shaikh Khalifa bin iwohuucd, a son of the
/Kuler1s
iliu Lxcclloncy
Sir Bernard Burrows, K.C.M.G.,

Her Majesty's Political Resident in the Persian Gulf.
cQNiajsijTiid,