Is It Election Or Selection: The First-Ever Qatari Shura Council Election Of 2021 In Comparison To The Hong Kong Legislative Council Election Of 2021

10.2478/bjlp-2023-0000039

Abstract

Despite the execution of the Permanent Constitution of the State of Qatar 2004, which entered into force on April 9, 2004, article 80 stipulates that the mechanism for selecting a member of the Shura Council shall be by election by two-thirds of the members and the Emir of the State of Qatar appoints the other third, However, the text of the article has been suspended and the work of a specific Shura Council is completely in accordance with the Amended Provisional Constitution of 1972. The suspension of article 80 remained until the elections that took place for the first time in Qatar’s electoral history for the Shura Council on October 2, 2021. The executive authority tried to stop the implementation of Article 80 so that there is no elected Shura Council that represents the Qatari people, because this may weaken the power of the executive authority. Nevertheless, with the implementation of the election article of 80, is the Shura Council still appointed, or does it parallel the democratic parliaments in the world? This issue intersects with the model in Hong Kong for the Legislative Council, which has been suffering from the Chinese factor as the Chinese nationality plays a prominent role in passing a bill by an absolute majority that favors the pro-China Beijing Party.