Consultative Assembly of Qatar

The Consultative Assembly (Arabic: مجلس الشورى القطري, romanized: Majlis as-Shura; also known as the Shura Council) is the legislative body of the State of Qatar, with 45 members. Following the 2021 Qatari general election, it has 30 elected members and 15 appointed members.[1][2] The body can only question the prime minister, who is appointed by the Emir of Qatar, on his policies if two-thirds of the members agree, which is unlikely given that one-third of the members are appointed by the Emir.[3]

Consultative Assembly of Qatar

مجلس الشورى القطري
51st Session
Emblem of Qatar
Type
Type
Leadership
Speaker
Hassan bin Abdulla Al-Ghanim
since 27 October 2021
Deputy Speaker
Hamda bint Hassan Al-Sulaiti
since 27 October 2021
Structure
Seats45
Political groups
  Elected members (30)
  Appointed members (15)
Committees
List
  • Information and Cultural Affairs Committee
  • Economic and the Financial Affairs Committee
  • Internal and External Affairs Committee
  • Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee
  • Services and the Public Utilities Committee
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
October 2, 2021
Meeting place
Doha
State of Qatar
Website
https://www.shura.qa

Constitutional role

The Council was formed in April 1972 with 20 appointed members.[4] In May 1972, the first consultative assembly meeting was held, during which Sayed Aziz bin Khalid Al Ghanim was elected as the assembly's first chairman. Aside from the 20 members who took part in the meeting, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani and foreign dignitaries were also in attendance.[5]

Qatar's constitution, approved in April 2003 by popular referendum, has created a legislative body to be two thirds elected by universal suffrage, and one third appointed by the Emir. According to the constitution, the legislature will have three powers: to approve (but not prepare) the national budget; to monitor the performance of ministers through no-confidence votes; and to draft, discuss, and vote on proposed legislation, which becomes law only with the vote of a two-thirds majority and the Emir's endorsement.

The consultative assembly has the following functions:[6]

  • Legislative authority
  • Approves the general budget of the government
  • Exercises control over the executive authority
  • The assembly has the right to forward proposals on public matters to the government. If the government doesn't comply with the proposal it has to give its reasons and the assembly can comment on them

Members

The current Chairman of the Consultative Assembly is Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim.[7]

Composition of the Consultative Assembly of Qatar
Members Seats
Elected members 30
Appointed members 15
Total 45

Speaker

  • Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim (elected member)[8][6]

Deputy speaker

Rapporteurs[9]

  • Hadi bin Saeed al-Khayarin
  • Rashid bin Hamad al-Meadadi

Elected members[6]

  1. Fareej Khulaifat: Abd Ul-Rahman bin Yousuf Al-Khulaifi
  2. Fareej Alhitmi: Ahmad bin Hitmi AL-Hitmi
  3. Fareek Aslata: Abdulla bin Ali Al-Sulaiti
  4. Almirqab: Essa bin Ahmad Al-Nassr
  5. Fareej Old Ghanim: Hassan bin Abdulla Al-Ghanim
  6. Musherib: Khalid bin Ghanim Al-Maadheed
  7. Aljisra: Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Obaidan
  8. Albidaa: Nasser bin Salmine Alsuwaidi
  9. Braha Aljuferi: Hamad bin Abdulla Al-Mulla
  10. Doha Aljadeed: Khalid bin Abas Kamal Al-Emadi
  11. Rawdat Alkheil: Nasser bin Mohsin Bukshaisha
  12. Rumailah: Essa bin Arar Alromaihi
  13. Fareej Alnajada: Mohamed bin Yousef Abudelrahman Almana
  14. North Wakra: Mohamed bin Muftah Al-Muftah
  15. South Wakra: Yousef bin Ali Al-Khater
  16. Seliah: Ali bin Fetais Almarri
  17. Old Rayan: Mohamed bin Batti Al-Abdulla
  18. Khureitiat: Ali bin Shabib Al-Attiya
  19. Thaain: Nasser bin Metrif Issa Al-hemeidi
  20. Khour Thakhira: Ahmed bin Hamad Almohanadi
  21. Musheirib: Mohammed bin Eid Al-Kaabi
  22. Alghariya: Mubarak bin Mohamed Al-Kuwari
  23. Roues: Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Sada
  24. Aba Altholouf: Mohammed bin Omar Al-Mannai
  25. Ljamil: Nasser bin Hassan Alkubaisi
  26. Lghwadrieh: Nasser bin Mohd Al-Naimi
  27. Alnisranieh Lkhuraib: Sultan bin Hassan Aldosari
  28. Dukhan: Mubarak Bin Saif Al-Mansouri
  29. Al Kharsaah, Ummahat Sawi and Al Owaina: Ali bin Said Al-Khayareen
  30. Rawdat Rashid: Salem bin Rashid Al-Meraikhi

Appointed members
  • Yousef Ahmed Ali Omran Al Kuwari
  • Saad Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Ibrahim Al Muhannadi
  • Badi Ali Mohammed Al-Badi
  • Mohammed Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Muslim
  • Muhammad Mahdi Ajyan Al-Ahbabi
  • Sheikha Yousef Al-Jufairi (f)
  • Ahmed Ibrahim Rashid Al-Maliki
  • Saud Jassim Mohammed Al Buainain
  • Saad Ahmed Abdullah Al-Misnad
  • Muhammad Mansour Khalil Al Khalil Al-Shahwani
  • Ahmed Sultan Muhammad Sabah Al-Asiri
  • Abdullah Jaber Muhammad Libdeh
  • Abdullah Nasser Turki Al-Subaie
  • Umair Abdullah Khalid Aljabr Al-Nuaimi

[6]

Chairmen
Name Entered office Left office Notes
Abdul Aziz Bin Khalid Al-Ghanim 1 May 1972 8 December 1990 [10]
Ali bin Khalifa Al Hitmi 8 December 1990 27 March 1995 [10]
Mohamed Bin Mubarak Al-Khulaifi 27 March 1995 14 November 2017 [10]
Ahmad bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud 14 November 2017 27 October 2021 [11][12]
Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim 27 October 2021 Present [13]

History

In 2006 it was announced that legislative elections would take place in 2007; according to a 1 April statement by then-First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, who later became Prime Minister of Qatar. That was postponed and an advisory committee was established to study the issue. The legislative council rescheduled the elections for June 2010.[14] The election did not take place in 2010.

In November 2011, the Emir announced that the election would take place in 2013,[1][2] but they were postponed prior to the retiring Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani transferring power to his son Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.[15] The Consultative Assembly's term was extended until 2016.[16]

In November 2017, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani appointed four women to the 45-member council, marking the first time women have taken part in the council.[17]

However, the elections were then postponed until 2019, with the prior term extended once again.[18] In October 2019 the Emir issued an order for a committee to be formed to organise the elections, chaired by Prime Minister Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani.[19] In November 2020, the Emir pledged to hold the elections in October 2021.[20] The 2021 Qatari general election was held on 2 October 2021.

See also

References
  1. "Qatar elections to be held in 2013 - Emir". BBC News. 2011-11-01. Archived from the original on 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
  2. Agarwal, Hina (2011-11-09). "Qatar to hold elections in 2013". Arabian Gazette. Archived from the original on 2012-05-22. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
  3. "Qatari elections: A PR stunt or a step toward democracy? | DW | 24.08.2021". DW.COM. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  4. https://www.shura.qa/Pages/About%20Council/History
  5. The era of reform. New York: Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nation. 1973. p. 7.
  6. "Shura Council". Government Communications Office. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  7. Admin. "Who Is Hassan Bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim, Who Became President Of The First Elected Parliament In Qatar? » Gulf News » Prime Time Zone". Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  8. "The Shura Council, Current Speaker and Members". www.shura.qa. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  9. "Current Speaker and Members". The Shura Council. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  10. "Previous Speakers And Members". Shura of Qatar. 12 January 2019.
  11. "The Shura Council, HE MR. Ahmad Bin Abdulla Bin Zaid AL Mahmoud".
  12. "IPU PARLINE database: QATAR (Majlis Al-Shura), Full text".
  13. "Shura Council elects speaker, deputy speaker during first session". Doha News | Qatar. 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  14. Legislative Polls by June 2010 Archived September 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Gulf-Times. Nair, Arvind. December 1, 2009.
  15. "Qatar emir hands power to son, no word on prime minister". Reuters. 2013-06-25.
  16. Postponing democracy: Qatar’s modernization attempts fail without inclusive political institutions Archived 2015-04-20 at the Wayback Machine An-Nahar, 18 December 2014
  17. "Qatar appoints four women to Shura Council". Al Jazeera. 9 November 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  18. "Legislative elections in Qatar postponed until at least 2019 - Doha News". Archived from the original on 2017-08-22. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
  19. Qatar takes step toward first Shura Council election: QNA agency Reuters, 31 October 2019
  20. "قطر تعتزم إجراء أول انتخابات لمجلس الشورى في 2021". SWI swissinfo.ch (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-03-23.
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