The Cabinet yesterday approved a draft law on the Shura Council, including the independence of the body financially and in administration. The approved draft law has been forwarded to the Shura Council.

The draft law included provisions relating to emphasising the financial and administrative independence of the Council as the constitutional institution that undertakes legislation and oversight of the executive authority — also, organising the legal status of a member of the Shura Council, whether in terms of the rights assigned to him, or the duties and prohibitions.

Concerning the rights, the draft law organises and guarantees the rights of Council’s members to express an opinion, immunity in criminal proceedings, and rules regulating job retention for members working in government agencies, as well as exempting them from some job situations, and ensuring their return to their job after membership ends. The law also regulates the remuneration of the president, vice-president, and the members. This remuneration is estimated in proportion to the duties of the membership and requirements of full-time commitment, in light of the duties and prohibitions imposed, and in proportion to the tasks of each of the president, vice president, and members. 

The draft law also clarified the duties and prohibitions, which the constitution requires to be regulated by law. Accordingly, these clarifications include the obligation to disclose cases of conflict of interest, property, and sources of income and to report gifts, the member’s transactions and actions should be at a fair price, without including in the estimate of this price the status of member and establishing controls regarding the member’s access to credit facilities. Others are the prohibition of the member’s dealings with government agencies except following the principles of transparency, equal opportunities, and freedom of competition prohibits the Shura Council Speaker and his deputy from engaging in any commercial activity or non-commercial profession. 

A member of the Council is prohibited from professional, commercial, or other work or activity that contradicts the duties and requirements of membership.

Reflecting the status of the elected Council and its independence, the draft law guarantees the Council the independent competence to draw up and approve its budget and for its employees to have a special regulation for human resources.

One of the main provisions included in the new draft law is to ensure that the current internal regulations of the Shura Council continue to operate without conflict with the conditions of the elected Council. This ensures that the elected Council assumes its competencies and powers immediately after its election and without delay until it sets its new internal regulations.

It also includes taking necessary measures to issue a draft law on the arrangements for hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 after the Cabinet reviewed the recommendation of the Shura Council on the draft law.

Another decision of the Cabinet meeting includes approval of a draft law amending some provisions of the Qatar Financial Center Law issued by Law No. 7 of 2005 and a draft law amending some provisions of Law No. 34 of 2005 regarding free zones and their referral to the Shura Council.