Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05DOHA1225
2005-07-03 15:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Doha
Cable title:  

AMIR EXTENDS CURRENT ADVISORY COUNCIL SESSON FOR

Tags:  PGOV KDEM QA 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
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).

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