Qatar to vote on constitution
DOHA, Qatar (CNN) -- In what local media describe as "a major step towards ushering in democracy," Qatari citizens go the polls Tuesday to vote on the draft of a permanent constitution that would grant legislative powers to a largely elected advisory council.
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Sheikh Hamid Bin Kalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar
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In this small Persian Gulf state, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamid Bin Kalifa Al Thani has called on all Qatari citizens over 18 years to vote on the draft constitution.
If approved, the proposed constitution would create a 45-member advisory council, with 30 elected members and 15 appointed by the emir.
The council would then have the right to propose legislation, and the ability to review and approve governmental budget proposals, as well as to question and debate ministerial-level decisions.
Considerable powers stay in the hands of the ruling family. The emir remains the head of state, a role that will stay within the Al Thani family.
Under the draft constitution, the emir would also have the right to reject any law proposed by the council, but would be required to approve the legislation if resubmitted by the council with a two-thirds majority vote.
In advance of the vote, large electronic billboards as well as banners have been placed in several locations to publicize the draft constitution and explain its implications.
Qatar is considered a progressive country, compared to its Gulf neighbors, granting women the right to vote and run for office in 1999.
Qatar is located on a peninsula about halfway along the west coast of the Arabian Gulf, and has a population of only 522,000.
It is a close ally of the United States, hosting the U.S. Central Command's forward headquarters from which Operation Iraqi Freedom was run, as well as U.S. military facilities at the sprawling Al Udeid Air Base.
