Pharmacies' profits set to be capped - Gulf Daily News

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Gulf Daily News
Thursday, 14th March 2013
n From left, Adnan Al Bader, Mr Juma, Mr Khadim, Ahmed Al Bin Ali, Khalid Al Maskati and Latifa Al Gaoud talk to the media
Key talks hit a
snag ... again
By MOHAMMED AL A’ALI
TALKS aimed at ending
Bahrain’s political stalemate
were thrown into
limbo last night after
Dialogue participants
failed to agree on several
key issues.
It means a list of
demands presented by five
opposition societies and the
(pro-government) National
Coalition will now go back
to the drawing board after
seven sessions of debate.
It comes despite participants
reaching consensus
on a draft
schedule
drawn up by
a mini working
group last
Sunday.
Dialogue
spokesman
Isa
Abdulrahman
said it included
guidelines
organising
the progress
of sessions,
forming a
committee to
follow-up, a
public referendum
on the outcome of
dialogue and guarantees of
implementation.
Consensus was also
reached on the timeframe
of talks and constitutional
mechanisms.
“There were differences
among participants – with
some asking that the leadership
be represented in
dialogue rather than government,
and some others
asking for the draft schedule
to be discussed again,”
said Mr Abdulrahman.
“Session regulators put
forth proposals to start discussions
on the main topics,
but it didn’t happen
and this will be studied on
Sunday – despite requests
to have the session can-
celled to allow
revision until
Wednesday.”
Education
Minister Dr
Majid Al
Nuaimi said
the government
was
doing everything
it could
to move the dialogue forward.
n Mr Abdulrahman
IAA slams proposal rejection claims
BAHRAIN has slammed claims by opposition
groups that its proposals for the
National Dialogue’s mechanisms were all
rejected.
The Information Affairs Authority
(IAA) said the government has reiterated
through several public statements that all
decisions drawn from the dialogue were
based on a consensus.
“This led to developing an agenda,
which has prioritised enforcing mechanisms
to regulate the dialogue, as well as
executive mechanisms ensuring the implementation
of the outcomes,” said IAA
media attaché Salman Al Jalahma.
“We are going back continuously
for no obvious reasons
because the opposition wants
to have their point of views
approved – like calling in UN
experts, and the leadership
being represented rather than
the government,” he said.
Coalition spokesman
Ahmed Juma repeated earlier
claims that the opposition was
trying to stall the talks.
“To claim this request has been ‘turned
down’ is wholly untrue as it has yet to be
discussed and agreed upon,” he said.
He was responding to a Reuters article
published on Tuesday, which quoted
Al Wefaq National Islamic Society secretary-general
Shaikh Ali Salman’s reaction
following the appointment of His Royal
Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al
Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme
Commander, as the First Deputy Premier.
The opposition leader said negotiations
were difficult as the government turned
down their proposals and refused to select
a representative of His Majesty King
n The dialogue in session last night
“The opposition has thrown
the dialogue into limbo and we
are back to square one as discussions
will have to restart on
each individual paper, something
we had already done a
month ago,” he said.
Shura Council legislative
and legal affairs committee
member Dalal Al Zayed also
blamed the opposition for
dragging the process.
“They want the immediate
release of prisoners. They
have also come up with ridiculous
suggestions to waste time
in a bid to get a break from
dialogue and spend time on
their weekend activities and
other chaotic programmes,”
she said.
“We have reached a point
where violence has started
affecting educational facilities.
Hamad to be present at the dialogue table.
“As for the representation of the Royal
Family in the dialogue, an agreement was
reached by all participants that the dialogue
outcomes would be presented to His
Majesty,” added Mr Jalahma.
“The attempts to delegitimise the dialogue
by imposing preconditions on the
agenda are delaying the opportunity in
providing positive tangible results.”
His Majesty made the new appointment
on Monday, which comes in line with
efforts to expedite the reform programme
and oversee their enforcement to the executive
branch of government.
MP threatens to
sue over insults
during dialogue
AN MP has threatened to
sue an opposition figure
after claiming he had been
mocked and insulted at
Bahrain’s National Dialogue.
Parliament financial and
economic affairs committee
vice-chairman Abdulhakeem
Al Shemmri alleged opposition
spokesman Sayed
Jameel Kadhim had shouted
accusations of an “unpatriotic
nature” towards him.
“I can’t recall what made
him insult and mock me, but
I just expressed my opinion
backing the Iranian opposition
in its struggle to regain
its rights from the oppressive
Iranian government,” he said
after last night’s session.
Mr Kadhim later accused
the MP of running a campaign
against him.
We require more seriousness
dealing with dialogue
rather than giving a coverup
for saboteurs’ actions.”
But opposition spokesman
Sayed Jameel Kadhim
hit back at the claims.
“The National Assembly
members are more governmental
than the government
and we have asked that
its eight seats get divided
between us and the coalition
for us to make proper
independent choices,” he
said.
“We asked that Sunday’s
session be cancelled with
us just holding a session on
Wednesday, to review new
ideas presented and study
ways of moving forward
with the schedule. But it
was rejected.”
Mr Khadim called
for His Royal Highness
Prince Salman bin Hamad
Al Khalifa, Crown
Prince, Deputy Supreme
Commander and First
Deputy Premier, to be
included in the talks.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh