Qatar’s interior ministry announced on Sunday that a committee has been formed to oversee the country’s first legislative election, which is expected to take place in October, according to Al Jazeera.
The election will be for two-thirds, or 30 members, of the 45-seat advisory Shura Council and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will appoint the other 15 members.
The interior ministry announced on Twitter that Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani, who also serves as interior minister, has authorized the formation of a supervisory committee led by interior ministry officials.
Sheikh Khalid told Qatari media last month that it was the Emir’s belief in going forward “towards strengthening the role of the Shura Council in developing the legislative process and expanding national participation.”
Qatar has yet to publish the electoral system law for the Shura Council or set an exact date for the vote.
Last month, Sheikh Khalid announced that a draft electoral law adopted by the cabinet in May would limit campaign spending and make foreign fundraising and vote-buying illegal.
Qatar has been working on drafting constitutional procedures and legislative tools, including the electoral law, over the past few months.
The developments follow Sheikh Tamim’s directive in November of last year to form a committee to organize the referendum, which had been postponed for several years.
