Prince Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, who served as Bahrain’s Prime Minister since the island nation’s independence from Britain in 1971, died on Wednesday, according to the state-run Bahrain News Agency. The outlet did not provide any details relating to the cause of his death, but he had previously suffered at least two heart attacks and undergone heart surgery. He was 84 and died at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in the United States (US).
Though credited with ushering in a modern economy in the country and helping deepen the island nation’s ties with the US (Bahrain is home to the US Navy’s fifth fleet) over his nearly 50 years in office, Prince Khalifa was also accused of brutally quelling the country’s Arab Spring protests in 2011, that demanded his resignation over allegations of corruption. Critics say that thousands of opposition activists were jailed and tortured during this time, but Bahrain firmly denies those charges. Prince Khalifa was a vocal critic of the Arab Spring, saying it only brought “death, chaos, and destruction”.
His stern response to the pro-democracy protests and criticism of similar unrest across the Arab world underlined what for many was the defining characteristic of his career, namely a stalwart defense of the dynastic rule. The prince was also known for his opulent wealth. He had his own private island, where he met foreign dignitaries, which included a marine and a park that had peacocks and gazelles roam its grounds. “Khalifa bin Salman represented the old guard in more ways than just age and seniority,” Kristin Smith Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Washington-based Arab Gulf States Institute, told AP. “He represented an old social understanding rooted in royal privilege and expressed through personal patronage.”
The Al Khalifa family has ruled Bahrain since 1783. Both, his father, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, and brother, Sheikh Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, were former rulers of the country, while his nephew, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, is the current King. Prince Khalifa is said to have learned governance at his father’s side when the island was a British protectorate.
The country’s Royal Court has announced a week of official mourning during which flags will be flown at half-mast, and the prince’s body will be buried once it returns from the US. The funeral will be limited to a specific number of relatives. The King has also named his son, Crown Prince Salman al-Khalifa as the new Prime Minister through a royal decree, which will go into effect immediately.
Bahrain’s Longest Serving Prime Minister Dies at 84, Crown Prince Named As Replacement
Prince Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa had served as the island nation's Prime Minister since 1971.
November 12, 2020
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN