Friday, 27 September 2013

DOHA: The powers of the secretary general of the Central Municipal Council (CMC) have been curtailed through an amendment in the law governing the Council.

The amendment follows a recent row between the CMC members and its former secretary general that led to the resignation of the latter.

As per the amendment, approved by the State Cabinet recently, the secretary general has been brought under the supervision of a committee to be headed by the CMC chairman. Earlier, the secretary general was functioning independently.

"The law governing the CMC goes back to 2002. We proposed amendments in some articles of the law, in line with Law No. 1 of 2011, and they have been approved by the Cabinet. The amendments are now in the offices of the Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning," Sheikha Al Jefairi, a CMC member and head of its legal committee, told The Peninsula. She said one of the recommendations was to bring the secretary general under the supervision of a committee headed by the CMC chairman.

"The proposal was raised in view of the problems and complications we faced with the former secretary general," said Al Jefairi.

According to Article No 17 of the law, the secretary general was representing the CMC on important occasions and this was not acceptable.

"The Council should be represented by the chairman. We sign agreements with governmental bodies and regional and international legislative entities. The chairman should represent CMC locally and internationally when dealing with the other legislative bodies. The role of the secretary general should be administrative," said Al Jefairi.

Asked about a recent report issued by the CMC which said that only about one-third of its recommendations were responded to by the authorities concerned, Al Jefairi said:

"It is true that only a few recommendations have been approved but there is good cooperation between the CMC and the and the ministries, especially the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning. However, the long procedures are often delaying things."

She said since the amended law has been approved by the Cabinet, it should be implemented without delay and should not take much time at the Minister's office.

"This is the law that organises our work and that of the new secretary general who is going to be elected soon," she said.

© The Peninsula 2013