'File 19/218 (C 84) Bahrain Succession' [‎33r] (67/210)

ttiAt tne n e.? BnaiJch onouid nonour tne rreaciea ana .".ngat:events
of /lis predec ess or t ne atiould invite tn&it a pa-'at ^-iy
aaor etly to inform Him wiiora tney ^ien to nominate as JnaiKn.
In brief ne snouid arrange « eeoret ballot, »mlcn i o«lieve
would be welcome and would certainly be mucn to ereryone^a
adranta^e. 'iavlag done ao, ne anould tnen aufnaon tne Family
again and announce tne niim€ or tne winner, raa 1 9 to my mind,
la ail tnat ie required, public announcements etcetera being
left entirely to tne ^arain Administration# I do not recommend
that tnis should be regarded as a nard awt faa t proce-iure to be
followed in any c Ire urns tan cetu It nay conceivably fee quite
unneceaaary y but the political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. should be authorised to
put some procedure of this a art into operation if ne ia
satisfied after consultation witn tne Adviner tn^t it will be
to the public advantage to do a % It is not essentially
different from what naa been done in some atates in Tndia,
and while designed to obviate confusion, it reiievea us, I
think, of any choree of offensive interference. 4
6. I have given Weightman 1 a opinion as to what line we
should take, as ne is the man on the spot. 1 do not, nowever,
agree with all his suggestions.
(a) In the first place, according to general Arab
custom It is not tne ^haiKnly Family wnich elects a new 3naiicn,
but influential representatives of tne wnole tribe or cowiunity,
and tnough in tne special circimBtances prevailing In 'fcnrain
tne Tamily have considerably more power and influence tnafl in
most Arab centres, nevertneless 1 do not tnxnic it is for ua^
to exclude others from s voice In tne election: if tne Faauly
can exclude otners tnat is tneir affair, not ours.
(b)/