A political society set up to provide a "moderate platform" open to all Bahrainis regardless of religion or sect will be officially recognised today, four months after its launch.

The 70-member Al Watan (The Homeland) society was unveiled in October last year with a view to contesting the national elections, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

However, approval from the Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry was not forthcoming until today, when a listing will appear in the National Gazette recognising that the political society has officially been registered.

Founding member Ahmed Al Saati told the GDN yesterday that the society's activities could now start in earnest, with study groups planned to look into the government's four-year plan, forthcoming budget and the looming oil crisis.

"We will hold the annual general assembly of the society in two weeks' time and elect the chairman and 11-member board," he said.

"We will also approve our internal laws in the meeting, subsequent to which the board members will elect the vice-president, secretary-general, treasurer and other office bearers."

The society's activities would not simply be restricted to "issuing statements condemning violence and holding meetings to address issues," said Al Saati.

"We believe in action, in co-ordination with the parliament," he said.

"Our first initiative will be to monitor the implementation of the Government Action Plan.

"We appreciate and welcome the plan, but as a political society, we believe that our role is to make sure that the plan is implemented for the benefit of the people.

"We will have a team that will be assigned with this responsibility and who will be in touch with the parliament in following up the implementation phase by phase."

Al Saati explained that the delay in getting official approval for his society stemmed from the fact that many of its members were also members of other existing societies.

"As per the law, this 'duplication' had to be cleared, with members requiring a release from the other societies that they were members of," he said.

"Three members - Naima Al Balooshi, Mariam Al Jowder and Adel Al Saffar - left the society for their own reasons, but the door is still open to them if they wish to come back."

Prominent

Prominent members of Al Watan include Y K Almoayyed managing director Mona Almoayyed, Golden Trust president Dr Lulwa Al Mutlaq, former Shura Council members Abdulrahman Buhussain and Habib Makki, economist and businessman Dr Akbar Jaffari, Bahrain University academic Na'aman Al Moosa, Bahrain Businesswomen Society president and Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry board member Ahlam Janahi and Bahrain Social Media Club president Ali Sabkar. - TradeArabia News Service