International Review of Law (Jul 2021)

Conditions of membership of the Central Municipal Council – A Comparative Study

  • Nasser Mohammed Alhajri

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1

Abstract

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This study deals with the conditions of membership of the Central Municipal Council of Qatar, which was stipulated in law No. (12) of 1998 and its amendments, and article (5) of the aforementioned law stipulates the following conditions: Qatari nationality, the age of the candidate should be thirty years, must possess mastery of reading and writing, must have moral decency, the candidate is to be restricted to the voters' lists in the constituency in which he is nominated, and not to be employed by military services. This study examines the compatibility of the Qatari legislator’s qualifications to run for membership in the Central Municipal Council with comparative laws and the constitutional right to candidacy. The study revealed that the Qatari legislators had demanded the issuance of a law regulating the process of electing members of the Central Municipal Council, but this law was not issued. Additionally, the Central Municipal Council of Qatar showed a noticeable strictness regarding the age requirement for candidates yet did not require academic qualifications to prove mastery of language. This study concluded that some of the conditions of membership of the Central Municipal Council of Qatar should be amended in line with the status and objectives of the Council, as well as a need to issue a law regulating the process of electing members of the Central Municipal Council.

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