Refusal of any group to participate in the National Dialogue would not mean failure of the initiative, officials said on Monday.
“Success of the talks that will commence on July 2 not only depends on the representatives but also on their approach and recommendations that could be translated into actual improvements in society,” Dialogue spokesperson Isa Abdulrahman in a statement said.
“We hope that all those invited would participate to come out with resolutions that represent the needs and aspirations of all people in Bahrain,” he said.
Regarding the non-confirmation of Al Wefaq National Islamic Society’s attendance, he hoped that all parties would participate in healthy and smooth talks.
However, he assured that refusal of some societies to participate does not mean dialogue’s failure.
“The success of talks could be determined with fruitful talks, good approach and implementation of its recommendations,” he said.
The views received by the National Dialogue office will be distributed in different segments according to their dimensions followed by scheduling the sessions and timetables of the talks.
The multifaceted dialogue will cover political, economic, social and legal issues.
Chairman of the dialogue has sent more than 300 invitations to political associations, NGOs and public figures.
Abdulrahman stressed the need to bridge the gaps between all viewpoints to come out with joint visions and common denominators, taking into account national unity and social values for the reform momentum to continue and embrace all fields.
He also urged His Majesty’s directives to be adopted as a basis for the talks. A total of 150 groups have already submitted their agenda for the dialogue.
Isa Abdul Rahman revealed that the number of participations in the National Dialogue has touched 297.
He added that participation rates have exceeded the 94% edge on the basis of invitations sent to political societies, civil organisations, public personalities, and media figures. He remarked that political societies have been given the opportunity to delegate 5 representatives each, as these societies are much interested in public affairs.
He announced that municipal councils will be taking part in the dialogue, represented by their presidents or representatives. Such participations enrich dialogue and give it a more comprehensive dimension, given that municipal councils enjoy a strong expertise in national issues.
The spokesman asserted that the rate of views received from invited participants has reached 81%, saying that the presidency will start distributing in the coming days, the views and topics to be discussed, categorising them into themes (political, economic, social, and rights). He added that topics will be debated in an attempt to reach a consensus that serves the interests of the nation and its people.
Isa Abdul Rahman clarified that the concept of dialogue is not founded on the number of participants, but on the quality of shared ideas and the ways those are addressed.
He said consensus would be adopted, explaining that the consensus that would be reach doesn’t depend on figures, but on the diversity of opinions and the capacity detained by each party to reach common points with others, and to reach an agreement about tackled topics.
He expressed optimism from the output of the dialogue, noting that the involvement of all parties would reflect the Bahraini community’s ambitions and interests. He also added that the dialogue represents a valuable opportunity to exchange opinions about Bahrain’s future.
The National Dialogue is scheduled to kick off next Saturday, the 2nd of July, at the Isa Cultural Center. The Presidency of the National Dialogue has received from invited political societies, civil organisations, and personalities, their views and visions for the last period. It has started preparing the event’s agenda according to the topics that will be debated. The views included topics and suggestions related to the fields of politics and human rights, including the pejoratives of the Parliament, Cabinet formation, electoral departments, naturalisation, combating administrative and financial corruption, public properties, and easing up strives.
The issues among other, salaries raises, improvement of life conditions, salaries of the retired employees, salaries of employees in the private sector, the empowerment of women, the adoption of future economic strategies, the support of youth, the bolstering of investments, the reinforcement of roles played by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the enacting of media and press legislations.
He also disclosed that 50 invitations were sent to parties to present their views within the section dedicated to residents and foreign communities. The National Dialogue will feature, in fact, participations representing foreign communities from several segments, such as clubs and religious institutions.
Rahman confirmed the importance of such participations, as residents and foreign communities represent active members in society, and they have the right to contribute in drawing the features of Bahrain’s future. He added that the dialogue represents a valuable opportunity enabling all segments in the Bahraini community to agree on change and reform patterns and to express their ambitions. He emphasised that foreign communities are an inherent part of the Bahraini society, and that their participation is an important factor for guaranteeing the dialogue’s success and the implementation of its outputs. He clarified that their participations would be restricted to special topics that don’t get anywhere near subjects related to nationals and other topics.
He finally noted that the National Dialogue presidency will start addressing representatives of foreign communities in Bahrain, to invite them to present the views they wish to debate in the section dedicated to foreigners and residents. Discussions in this section will kick off on the 2nd of July, on the sidelines of the National Dialogue.