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History and Government
History: During the 15th and 16th centuries the Gulf began to open up to European traders and Bahrain was under Portuguese rule between 1521 and 1622. For more than 100 years Bahrain was attacked by various tribes and national groups until the al-Khalifa clan took control of the island. The clan sought the protection of the British and between 1861 and 1971 Bahrain was a British Protectorate – nominally independent but with the British in charge of foreign and security policy. A 1913 agreement between the British and the Ottoman empire confirmed its position within Britain’s sphere of influence. The discovery of oil in 1931 set Bahrain on a path of development which would see it become one of the world’s most prosperous countries (see Economy section).
In 1971, in the wake of Britain’s ‘East of Suez’ strategic withdrawal, Bahrain’s protectorate status was relinquished and Bahrain became independent under the rule of Sheikh Isa al-Khalifa. The Sheikh has since allowed both British and US military forces use of Bahraini ports and airifields. These facilities have become essential to successive Western strategies in the Middle East; ‘dual containment’ (Iran and Iraq) and more recently the ‘war against terror’. Bahrain’s pro-Western stance was consolidated through membership of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), a six-nation body designed to enhance economic and security co-operation between the Gulf States. The GCC has also dealt with territorial disputes between members, principally ownership of the tiny but potentially oil-rich Hawar Islands which are claimed by both Bahrain and Qatar.
Bahrain’s economic development has not been matched by comparable progress in the political arena. The country is still an absolute monarchy in which dissent is barely tolerated; its relatively liberal reputation is based purely on the availability of alcohol and casinos (much enjoyed by rich Gulf potentates who cross the causeway to indulge). An elected forum, the majlis, provided an arena for the expression of popular opinion until its disssolution by the Sheikh in 1975. The opposition was mostly of a nationalist or socialist inclination until the turn of the 1970s. Then, following the 1979 revolution in Iran, a Shia Islamist movement emerged in Bahrain. (The bulk of the population is Shia while the ruling al-Khalifa clan and their principal allies adhere to the rival Sunni faith) Shia agitation, which the Government believed to have been fostered by Iran, reached a peak in 1981 but was suppressed. Renewed protests following the 1991 Gulf War were handled in a similar fashion.
In March 1999, Sheikh Isa died. He was succeeded by his son Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. There were few immediate changes in either foreign or domestic policy but in February 2002, Sheikh Hamad declared Bahrain a constitutional monarchy with himself as Head of State. Legislative elections are planned in the near future.
Government: Bahrain was a traditional Arab monarchy, ruled since 1782 by an Emir selected from the al-Khalifa dynasty through an appointed cabinet led by a Prime Minister. The current Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, proclaimed himself King on 14 February 2002 and his state a constitutional monarchy. A consultative council, the Majlis as-Shura, has 40 members appointed by the Emir/King who may advise the ruler and cabinet but has no formal powers. The Prime Minister is Sheikh Khalifa bin Sulman al-Khalifa. No political parties or elections have been permitted since 1975 following the abolition of the majlis. Sheikh Hamed has decreed the reconstitution of the majlis, elections for which will take place in October 2002.
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