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previous year went smoothly, frustration amongst the Baharna was quickly

manifested. The Baharna had won only two seats on the Committee, one of which

was held by Abd-Ali Al-Alaiwat who would later become a frontline member of the

nationalist movement, and the Government had nominated only three Baharna. The

Arab Shi’ite community believed that they were due more representation. The

Resident considered that their failure to gain more seats was due to their ‘very poor’

electioneering. Later, a dispute within the Committee arose and was based on a

third attempt by a Sunni member to award compensation to a demolished local shop

in Manama for the purpose of expanding the neighbouring street. The majority of

the Committee’s members accepted the proposal in its third attempt of passing. The

Baharna members [two elected and three nominated], however, rejected the

decision to compensate and resigned from the Committee. The incident led the Arab

Shi’ite community to air further grievances, one of which was the increase in

property rent at the vegetable, fish, and meat markets. The property was rented to a

majority of Baharna and owned by the Ruler and his brother Sheikh Duaij Al-Khalifa.

The landlords blamed the increase in rent on the expenditure involved in

constructing and maintaining the market. The Government attempted to persuade

the five members to retract their resignations, but to no avail.
99
Trouble in the Manama Municipal Committee continued the following year

when the Baharna threatened to boycott the elections due to be held in October

1952 unless the Committee was to be comprised of equal Sunni to Shi’ite

representation. The Ruler accepted the demands and said that the Committee

99 TNA, FO 371/91264, Hay to FO, 2 June 1951; and TNA, FO 371/91264, Hay to FO, 16 June 1951.

© Hamad E. Abdulla 33