 The parliament is a bi-cameral legislature, with the Council of Representatives elected by universal suffrage, and the Consultative Council (also called the Shura Council) appointed directly by the king.Bahrain gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1971, with Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa as its ruler.In 1972, Isa issued a decree for the election of a Constituent Assembly to draft and ratify a constitution.