King of Bahrain opens the parliament today

Bahrain today opens the first pages of democracy when the King of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa will inaugurate the parliament in its two councils -- the elected parliamentarians council and the appointed Shoura council. The King is expected to deliver a speech before members of the two councils.

The appointed Shoura council is presided by formed minister of heath Faisal al-Musawi. During the first session, two deputies for al-Musawi will be elected and then the speaker of the parliament and his two deputies will be elected.

The Shoura and parliament councils include 80 seats, according to the constitution of 2002. The new formation in the Shoura council covered 31 new faces including five women. Former woman member in the parliament Alis Samaan who represents the Christian community in the kingdom, preserved her seat.

Among women who got seats at al- Ayyan council ( appointed council) were the two women teachers Widad al-Fadel and Na'emah al-Dousari and the two women academics Fakhreyah al-Deiri and Fawzeyah al-Saleh and doctor Nada Hafez.

For the first time faces from the ruling family joined the council since the beginning of its march in 1930, by appointing the academic Khaled Khaleifa and the two military men Ali al-Khaleifa and Fahd Al- Khaleifa.