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The draft law for the by-election of the 45-member General Advisory Council sets out the rules for the October vote.
Qatar’s cabinet has approved a bill on the Shura Council elections scheduled for October, the Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported on Wednesday.
The 45-member advisory board for the general council sets out the rules for voting in by-elections. It is not yet clear what the October elections will be.
In November last year, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani he ordered the formation of a committee to organize the vote, after several years of delay.
Qatar voters can vote for 30 members of the Shura Council, and will nominate another 15 emirs.
Under the bill, government employees are allowed to retain their jobs if they are candidates and elected members of the Shura Council.
The bill simplifies the voter registration process, including electronic registration, and sets an election campaign spending limit of QAR 2 million per candidate. It will oversee the origin of the funds.
Candidates are forced to avoid tribal or sectarian rhetoric and must respect the public morals, traditions and religious and social values of society. It is also forbidden to insult other candidates or provoke conflicts in any way under the bill.
The bill contains provisions to ensure that public and private media are impartial in the coverage and treatment of all candidates.
Ministers, members of the judiciary, members of all military agencies and members of the General Municipal Council are prohibited from running in elections under the bill.
A committee chaired by a judge elected by the Supreme Council of the Judiciary will be responsible for overseeing the voting and counting process, as well as disseminating the results.
The bill also specifies “severe penalties” for election violations, such as foreign meddling, vote-buying or other violations.
After the election, the power of the Shura Council is expected to expand, including the ability to remove ministers, approve national budgets and propose legislation.
In the neighboring United Arab Emirates, voters are elected by the country’s authorities.
Kuwait and Bahrain have both elected parliaments with oversight powers without governing authority. The appointment of the government is in the hands of the authorities of the Arab states of the Gulf.
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