Central Municipal Council

In 1952, the first municipal council was formed, and was restructured in 1956.^[1] Doha municipal council was formed in May 1963, after the government conceded to protests by nationalist movements.^[2] It was the first ever municipal council which was designed to elect members. In 1972, the Municipalital Affairs was established, functioning as a supervisory authority over the municipal affairs.^[1]

The idea to form the municipal council by direct elections was revived when the Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani decreed Law No 12 for 1998 which issued the election of the members of the Central Municipal Council.^[1] The emir also issued the Emiri Decree No 17 for 1998 on the election of the members of the Central Municipal Council. Several committees were subsequently formed. They included the legal, security, and information, technical, supply, and follow up committees. A preparatory committee was also formed under the patronage of the wife of the Emir to carry out an awareness program for women, emphasizing the importance of their participation in the elections both as candidates and voters.^{[citation needed]}

The election experience was very well received publicly and officially and the response was overwhelming by all sectors of the Qatari society, males and females alike. The participation of women as voters and candidates invited a wide-range and favorable echo, locally and internationally. 35 Arab and foreign parliamentarians were hosted to oversee the conduct of the first elections in the country.^{[citation needed]}

The Qatari democratic practice exceeded the surrounding experiences in four aspects: voting age was brought down to 18, which expands the scope of participation in the democratic process, the Qatari media was utilized in an unprecedented manner in the Persian Gulf region by giving live coverage of the debates and discussions between candidates and voters, women were allowed to participate as voters and candidates for the first time and a headquarters was provided in each constituency, where the 29 members of the council can hold discussions and meetings with their electorates.^{[citation needed]}

The Emiri Decree No 17 for 1998 specified the regulations governing the elections of the members of the Central Municipal Council. All Qatari males and females that fulfill the following conditions have the right to cast their votes:

1. They must be of Qatari origin, or have been naturalized citizens for a period of at least 15 years.
2. They must be 18 years of age.
3. They must not be indicted on a criminal charge of breach of trust or honesty. Otherwise they must have been rehabilitated.
4. The constituency must be the real place of residence for respective voters.
5. They must not be members of the armed forces or security forces.

The council is formed of 29 members representing constituencies spreading over 230 regions in the State of Qatar. The membership term in the council is 4 years.

On 4 May 1999 Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar issued a decree inviting the Central Municipal Council to hold its first meeting in full attendance to elect the council's Chairman and deputy chairman from among its members by secret ballot. The Council holds its ordinary meetings in Doha and in public once every two weeks. Extraordinary meetings must be requested by one third of the members. The meetings are considered regular only where the quorum of two thirds of the members is available. The maximum period for which a meeting can be put off for lack of quorum is three days, after which the meeting can be held with the attendance of one third of the members. The Council issues its resolutions by plurality of votes. Under the supervision of the chairman, the Council forms a Secretariat General and appoint a Secretary General. The job of the Secretary General is to prepare the meetings' agenda and submit thereof to the chairman, record the minutes of the meetings and the council's recommendations and submit, to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, those parts of the recommendations that call for his or any higher authority's action.

The Central Municipal Council is an independent entity. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture has no authority over its functions. It is totally free to practice its responsibilities without any interference from the Ministry. The roles of the Ministry and the Council complement each other. The role of the council is still one of advisory and monitoring. The council has the right to discuss all matters and problems, and its agenda is not confined to what is raised by the Ministry. The Ministry approves the recommendations of the council, whose members decide their own work program and budget without external interference.

Both the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture and the Central Municipal Council coordinate their efforts to reach the common goal of serving the country and the citizens. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture explains the different points of view to the Council through a specialized committee. In case the difference in opinion persists, subjects of discord, accompanied by the two different viewpoints, are raised to the Council of Ministers for consideration.

The 29 members of the Council focus their attention on providing the compelling needs of the society and securing the basic services with a view to rationalize spending. They do that through a well-defined plan and good coordination of time, effort and resources, and through giving priority to projects like road building, sanitary drainage, parks and recreation sites.

The secretary-general of the Central Municipal Council is to be appointed by the State Cabinet and his powers are to be specified by it. This authority was earlier held by Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning. The Advisory Council earlier made extensive recommendations to amend Law No. 12 and incorporate the above changes. The job of the Secretary General is to prepare the meetings' agenda and submit thereof to the chairman, record the minutes of the meetings and the council's recommendations and submit, to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, those parts of the recommendations that call for his or any higher authority's action.