Minister of State for Information Affairs Sameera Rajab
No deadline set for Bahrain talks: minister
Manama, January 28, 2013
No timeframe has been fixed for a new national dialogue in Bahrain, which could start as early as this week, said a senior government official.
There is no deadline for participants to reach a consensus on key issues facing the country, Minister of State for Information Affairs Sameera Rajab told our sister newspaper, the Gulf Daily News (GDN).
"It all depends on the participants," she said. "How fast they reach and finalise on issues."
Rajab added that issues agreed upon by participants would be forwarded to the government for further action.
"There could be constitutional amendments or even some issues referred to parliament by the government for implementation as part of the mechanism," she explained.
She said the process was still being finalised, which meant she could not give an exact number of invites that were being sent out to participants by the Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry.
"There will be an official spokesperson appointed by authorities to co-ordinate with the media to cover the National Consensus Dialogue," said Rajab. "The dialogue will start in the coming days or early next month."
Sources told the GDN that political societies or coalitions invited to the talks had been asked to nominate six members or representatives to take part.
"There will be a series of preparatory meetings where the agenda will be finalised, tabled and then made ready for discussion between the participants," said sources.
A venue for the dialogue and the timings are yet to be announced. – TradeArabia News Service