No interference in Advisory Council functions: Qatari Official

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And, as for the media which is not quite liked in some quarters due to its role as a social watchdog, the Advisory Council known as Majlis-e-Shura in Arabic, says it has no problems with the press.

“We are open to criticism from the media. We have absolutely no problems with them,” says the Council’s Vice-Chairman, Isa bin Rabia Al Kuwari.

He told Al Sharq in an interview that top on the agenda of the Advisory Council’s current session which began yesterday are discussions on the decrees and legislations that were passed during the summer break.

This apart, the situation with regard to education in the country and drafts of amendments to the criminal procedure code will also come up for debate during the current session.

Answering a question on whether the Council treats the media as a rival and abhors criticism, Al Kuwari said: “Absolutely not. We rather welcome criticism.”

Asked if the issues the Council discusses are dictated to by higher-ups in the government, he replied in the negative and said the Council is an autonomous body and does not follow directives from the powers that be.

“We are independent and pick issues that are of national interest. We discuss them in a free, fair and transparent manner.”

Al Kuwari also said that the Qatari society was now ready for parliamentary elections as political awareness was high in its midst and it was already exposed to civic elections.

The referendum which was conducted to ratify the Constitution is an additional proof of the community’s political maturity, said the Vice-Chairman of the Council.

 

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