AMIR EXTENDS CURRENT ADVISORY COUNCIL SESSON FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 001225 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2015 TAGS: PGOV KDEM QA SUBJECT: AMIR EXTENDS CURRENT ADVISORY COUNCIL SESSON FOR ONE YEAR REF: A. A. 04 DOHA 1690 ¶B. B. DOHA 1155 ¶C. C. DOHA 1156 Classified By: Ambassador Chase Untermeyer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) The Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, extended the current, all-appointed legislative body by one year, to June 30, 2006, according to official reports seen June 28. The Advisory Council's term was to expire on June 30, 2005 (ref A),in order to conform to Qatar's new constitution, which came into force on June 9 (ref B). During the past year, a number of embassy contacts had told us that they expected the Advisory Council, in its current appointed make-up, to be dissolved in order for the Qatari government to make way for legislative elections. The decree appears to utilize Article 150 of the constitution, which states: "The provisions pertaining to the current Al-Shoura Council shall remain in force until the new council is elected." The Amir also issued a decree stating that the Council will adjourn for summer recess after the final meeting of the Council's 33rd session, which will be held July 18. ¶2. (C) Qatar's First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, announced that the state's legislative elections would be held by 2007 (ref C), representing a further shift in the timeline for implementation of the constitution, which was approved by popular vote in 2003. Three Views of the Extension of the Advisory Council -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) Conservative opposition figure Abdel Rahman bin Omair al-Naimi described the extension as a violation of the constitution. He said lack of discussion of the constitution was because Qataris know it is "not applied." He also critized the postponement of legislative elections. He commented that it was wrong to talk about Qatari democracy, because the constitution makes permanent the hereditary rule of the Al Thani family rather than a leader chosen by the people. It is necessary to create dialogue on issues of import to the society, and to legalize political NGOs, he said. ¶4. (C) Political analyst Dr. Hassan al-Ansari argued that the postponement was not the crucial point. Rather, Qatar suffers from a crippling lack of democratic thinking. "Elections will take place," he assured P/E Chief, but they will be democratic in form only. Qataris will still operate according to tribal thinking and family business interests, and without true freedom of speech. Until there is open dialogue on all issues between all segments of society, conservative as well as progressive, Qatar will not be operating as a democracy. He mentioned current education reform as an issue of interest to all Qataris but about which there is a nearly complete lack of public discussion. ¶5. (C) Dr. Abdulla Saleh al-Khulaifi, president of the constitutional drafting committee, which worked from 1999 to 2003, explained the legality of the Advisory Council's extension by indicating Article 150. He acknowledged that the Amir could continue to extend the council "for 100 years" and never be in violation of the constitution. He had a positive outlook on the extension because it gave time for the drafting of an election law and creation of electoral districts. It is not a setback, he said, because people in the government are working towards establishment of an elected council. He said that the Amir had approved the Ministry of Interior's deadline of March 2006 for drawing of electoral districts. In our view, this would allow enough time to prepare for elections in late 2006 or early 2007, minimizing any further extensions to the Advisory Council. (Comment: Al-Khulaifi spoke of open debate within the drafting committee, particularly on the issue of whether Islamic law would be "the" or "a" primary source of law. On other issues, such as the role of the ruling family and Article 17, which grants the Amir unrestricted yearly access to the treasury, the committee seems to have received and accepted outside guidance.) Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) Article 150 seems to allow for the extension of the Advisory Council. However, doing so appears to go against the spirit of the new document, the main feature of which is the establishment of a two-thirds elected legislature. The GOQ may argue that it needs to make sure the proper preparations are in place for a successful election. Even if these preparations happen more slowly than we had initially expected, they should allow or encourage, at the earliest possible date, popular discussion, debate, and general interest in aspects of democratic institutions. The cautious approach we have seen has tended toward secrecy and discouragement of public debate. UNTERMEYER