US embassy cable - 05DOHA1225

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 001225 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, QA 
SUBJECT: AMIR EXTENDS CURRENT ADVISORY COUNCIL SESSON FOR 
ONE YEAR 
 
REF: A. A. 04 DOHA 1690 
 
     B. B. DOHA 1155 
     C. C. DOHA 1156 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Chase Untermeyer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (SBU) The Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al 
Thani, extended the current, all-appointed legislative body 
by one year, to June 30, 2006, according to official reports 
seen June 28. The Advisory Council's term was to expire on 
June 30, 2005 (ref A), in order to conform to Qatar's new 
constitution, which came into force on June 9 (ref B). During 
the past year, a number of embassy contacts had told us that 
they expected the Advisory Council, in its current appointed 
make-up, to be dissolved in order for the Qatari government 
to make way for legislative elections. The decree appears to 
utilize Article 150 of the constitution, which states: "The 
provisions pertaining to the current Al-Shoura Council shall 
remain in force until the new council is elected." The Amir 
also issued a decree stating that the Council will adjourn 
for summer recess after the final meeting of the Council's 
33rd session, which will be held July 18. 
 
2. (C) Qatar's First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign 
Minister, Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, announced that the 
state's legislative elections would be held by 2007 (ref C), 
representing a further shift in the timeline for 
implementation of the constitution, which was approved by 
popular vote in 2003. 
 
Three Views of the Extension of the Advisory Council 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
3. (C) Conservative opposition figure Abdel Rahman bin Omair 
al-Naimi described the extension as a violation of the 
constitution. He said lack of discussion of the constitution 
was because Qataris know it is "not applied." He also 
critized the postponement of legislative elections. He 
commented that it was wrong to talk about Qatari democracy, 
because the constitution makes permanent the hereditary rule 
of the Al Thani family rather than a leader chosen by the 
people. It is necessary to create dialogue on issues of 
import to the society, and to legalize political NGOs, he 
said. 
 
4. (C) Political analyst Dr. Hassan al-Ansari argued that the 
postponement was not the crucial point. Rather, Qatar suffers 
from a crippling lack of democratic thinking. "Elections will 
take place," he assured P/E Chief, but they will be 
democratic in form only. Qataris will still operate according 
to tribal thinking and family business interests, and without 
true freedom of speech. Until there is open dialogue on all 
issues between all segments of society, conservative as well 
as progressive, Qatar will not be operating as a democracy. 
He mentioned current education reform as an issue of interest 
to all Qataris but about which there is a nearly complete 
lack of public discussion. 
 
5. (C) Dr. Abdulla Saleh al-Khulaifi, president of the 
constitutional drafting committee, which worked from 1999 to 
2003, explained the legality of the Advisory Council's 
extension by indicating Article 150. He acknowledged that the 
Amir could continue to extend the council "for 100 years" and 
never be in violation of the constitution. He had a positive 
outlook on the extension because it gave time for the 
drafting of an election law and creation of electoral 
districts. It is not a setback, he said, because people in 
the government are working towards establishment of an 
elected council. He said that the Amir had approved the 
Ministry of Interior's deadline of March 2006 for drawing of 
electoral districts. In our view, this would allow enough 
time to prepare for elections in late 2006 or early 2007, 
minimizing any further extensions to the Advisory Council. 
(Comment: Al-Khulaifi spoke of open debate within the 
drafting committee, particularly on the issue of whether 
Islamic law would be "the" or "a" primary source of law. On 
other issues, such as the role of the ruling family and 
Article 17, which grants the Amir unrestricted yearly access 
to the treasury, the committee seems to have received and 
accepted outside guidance.) 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
6. (C) Article 150 seems to allow for the extension of the 
Advisory Council. However, doing so appears to go against the 
spirit of the new document, the main feature of which is the 
establishment of a two-thirds elected legislature. The GOQ 
may argue that it needs to make sure the proper preparations 
are in place for a successful election. Even if these 
preparations happen more slowly than we had initially 
expected, they should allow or encourage, at the earliest 
possible date, popular discussion, debate, and general 
interest in aspects of democratic institutions. The cautious 
approach we have seen has tended toward secrecy and 
discouragement of public debate. 
UNTERMEYER