Dr. Abdul Ghaffar takes part in forum

HM the King's Advisor for Diplomatic Affairs and board of trustees Chairman of Bahrain Centre for Strategic and International Studies and Energy Dr. Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar took part in the third forum of the centres of thought in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, which is held in Azerbaijan on March 2 and 3. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the forum, which is organized under the theme "Changes in OIC countries" by the Centre for Strategic Studies (SAM) and the Institute of Islamic Studies (TASAM) in Baku, Dr. Abdul Ghaffar said Bahrain prepared itself to enter the 21st century with a comprehensive reform and modernization project which was initiated by HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in 1999, heeding major changes in societies and countries all over the world. This project, he added, is based on strengthening the civil state and boosting democratic institutions so as to promote their role as a permanent core of a constitutional kingdom that copes with the needs of the 21st century while gradually moving ahead with reforms at a reasonable pace. Dr. Abdul Ghaffar said these principles were included in the National Action Charter which received a landslide popular voting in 2001 and was anchored by the kingdom's constitution in 2002. He pointed out the subsequent municipal and parliamentary elections which promoted the role of the legislative power and struck a balance with the executive, judicial and supervisory authorities. "Despite the kingdom's big developmental and modernization strides, the interference of some foreign parties has caused a political crisis. These foreign sides tried to threaten Bahrain's security and stability in order to achieve regional and international agendas. HM the King immediately started tackling the crisis by encouraging national dialogue, setting up a fact-finding commission and boosting popular participation in taking decisions," he asserted.