Bahrain parliament speaker hails royal keynote address

Parliament Speaker Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Dhahrani hailed the keynote speech of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa on the 13th anniversary of the National Action Charter. The Parliament Speaker hailed the National Action Charter as a firm blueprint and cornerstone for the march of development and reform in the Kingdom of Bahrain. "The legislative branch, one of the charter milestones, will continue its crucial role and assume its responsibility towards the nation and citizens", he said, He commended the contribute of the Government, chaired by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa and the support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister. In a statement today, he hailed the celebration of the 13th NAC anniversary as a defining moment to renew the consensus on national fundamentals, interests and belonging to the homeland and the determination to continue the march under the modernised constitution. He commended the landmark gains achieved since the inception of the National Action Charter, highlighting particularly the establishment of the bicameral system and the Constitutional Court as well as the consolidation of the judicial independence, rule of the law, justice and equality, in addition to the protection of human rights. He affirmed the Parliament's resolve to commit to all the tracks of the reform process, consolidate respect of all citizens' rights and promote the renunciation of violence, terror and extremism- for Bahrain to remain forever an oasis of security, stability, tolerance, co-existence and rule of law and preserve its status as member of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Arab and Islamic identity and belonging. Other key milestones were also hailed, particularly public liberties, the development of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, the separation of powers and women's empowerment, in addition to improved standards of living, job creation, slashed unemployment and efforts to address the housing problem. The Parliament Speaker paid tribute to all citizens for their dedication and devotion in serving the nation, commending the security agencies for playing a crucial role in protecting Bahrain and its hard-won achievements and preserving national gains for future generations.