DISAPPOINTMENT IN ELECTED MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

UNCLAS DOHA 001257 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM QA SUBJECT: DISAPPOINTMENT IN ELECTED MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ¶1. (U) Summary. A recent newspaper survey revealed that most Qataris are disappointed in the performance of the Central Municipal Council, to date Qatar's only elected body. Critics said that the Council has no real power and has not accomplished anything of note. The survey suggests that Qataris will expect more from the National Assembly, a legislative body that will see its first elections next year. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Eighty-five percent of respondents to a newspaper survey expressed extreme disappointment in the performance of the Central Municipal Council (CMC). Many respondents said its performance was weak and there was a lack of transparency in its workings. The Municipal Council is Qatar's first (and to date only) elected body; polls were held in 1999 and 2003, and one woman was elected. The CMC has been beset by lack of authority on municipal issues. Its charter gives it only an advisory role to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture. ¶3. (U) One of those surveyed said "some members may as well not be there. They do not serve their constituencies." Another observed that "there are plenty of problems in society that require lasting solutions. We haven't had any solutions so far from the CMC or its members." Another said that "the CMC has not given any services during its term. The members not qualified to serve should be dismissed. There are more negatives than positives." ¶4. (U) Problems mentioned by constituents include high rents, derelict buildings, improper valuation of land, and poor drainage in side streets. There are also not enough parks for family outings, high fees charged by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture for various services, and issues created by rapid urban expansion. One responded that "the role of the CMC is weak in providing services. We haven't seen any achievements to date.... Most of the streets are in bad condition, and supervision by the CMC over contractors is negligible. Once a new street is completed, defects crop up in no time." ¶5. (U) The minority of respondents who approved of the work of the CMC stated that it was functioning to the best of its ability. The sole woman member of the CMC criticized the survey on its statistical merits and said the survey was motivated by ill-feeling between the paper and the Council. ¶6. (U) Separately, a member of the CMC resigned because he felt he had reached a dead-end and had nothing to give or to achieve. In a conversation with Emboff, he said he holds himself accountable to the electorate. He had made promises but could fulfill them; moreover, the constituents themselves lost trust in the Municipal Council after seven years with no tangible results. Consequently, it became difficult to keep in communication with his constituents, he said. He blamed the Municipal Council presidency for turning the Council into an uninspiring and bureaucratic body. He added that the CMC has no strategy or work plans. ¶7. (U) The Central Municipal Council was established by law in 1998. It consists of 29 Qatari members elected from the same number of districts throughout Qatar who meet every two weeks. The Council has a staff and a budget from the national government. Its role is to "monitor the laws, resolutions, and regulations" of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture and to "plan and program the economic, social, financial, and administrative aspects of municipal affairs and agriculture." The Council's statutes state that it look into complaints, recommend laws, request studies, monitor the licensing of hotels and regulations concerning picnic places, and monitor laws concerning advertising, among other things. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The CMC suffers from a lack of real power, and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture -- one of Qatar's largest -- has skillfully avoided any interference by it. Popular disappointment in the CMC shows that Qataris are keen to participate in their own governance and will hold their elected officials to higher standards than prevail elsewhere in the region. The country's elected legislative body, expected in 2007, will need respond to this desire, and their expectations, if it is to fulfill a genuine role as a branch of Qatar's government. UNTERMEYER