Qataris vote in first legislative poll

Qatari vote In the emirate’s first legislative election on Saturday, analysts said that it was a symbolic endorsement of democracy and would not result in a transfer of power from the ruling family. The voting was conducted on the 30 members of the 45-member Shura Committee, a body with limited powers previously appointed by the Emir as the advisory board.

Voting ends at 1500 GMT, and the results are expected to be announced on the same day. Voting starts at 0500 GMT.According to official data, as of Saturday afternoon, more than one-third of the participants, that is, 101 candidates, have withdrawn from the competition Qatar Television is obviously to support other candidates in their electoral district. After the withdrawal, a total of 183 candidates competed for 30 seats. The remaining 15 people will be appointed by the Emir.

In addition to the single-candidate town hall meetings, posters and advertisements, the country’s election activities are restricted, the government cannot be changed, and political parties have been banned. Candidates evade debates about Qatar’s foreign policy or the status of the monarchy, and instead focus on social issues.

All candidates must be approved by the powerful Ministry of the Interior, and only one-tenth of the candidates initially confirmed are women. Most of Qatar’s 2.5 million residents are foreigners and are not eligible to vote.