Qatar: Voter registration from April 30; campaigns from June 11

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Qatar - Based on Amiri Decree No. 28 of 2023, the Central Municipal Council (CMC) elections will be held on Thursday, June 22, 2023.

Voter registration for 7th CMC elections will be held from April 30 to May 4, 2023.

Final voter list will be announced on May 21 and nomination of candidates will be from May 21 to 25.

Primary list of candidates will be announced on May 28. From May 28 to June 5, grievances by candidates will be received, which will be finalised from May 29 to June 8.

On June 11, final list of candidates will be announced and then election campaign will begin. Voting for the 7th Central Municipal Council (CMC) will be held on June 22, 2023.

These details were shared yesterday in a Qatar TV programme which hosted a number of officials and experts to discuss the latest developments related to CMC elections.

Speaking in the programme Mohammed Al Emadi, Head of Advertisement Unit in Doha Municipality, said: “The Ministry of Municipality represented by the Licensing and Advertisement Department, in coordination with the Supervisory Committee for CMC election, is responsible for issuing permits for advertisements to candidates.

Khalifa Muhammad Al Khayarin, Director of the Technical Affairs Department at Al Rayyan Municipality, explained the rules of advertisements for election campaigns.

He said candidates are required to follow advertisement rules for regulating the campaigns of CMC elections in a way that the advertisements placed by the candidates should not offend others.

“The advertisements for the campaigns of CMC election will be through an authorised advertisement company. It will be through a licensed advertisement platform,” said Al Khayarin.

He said the candidate shall hold candidacy permit with a letter from the Supervisory Committee of CMC election and they will not indulge in provocative activities.

Ahmed Al Subaie, a lawyer and legal adviser, explained the conditions that must be met by voters and candidates. “The law for regulating CMC election stipulates very simple conditions for voters such as he/she shall be a Qatari citizen aged 18 and above,” said Al Subaie.

Dr. Eng. Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari, a former CMC member, shared experience of his firs tenure in the CMC.

Al Kuwari, who is also an environmental expert and engineering consultant for the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, said: “The recommendations that were discussed in the first session of the Municipal Council are now being seen on the ground.”

He said that 99 CMC members were elected in the first tenure. “Most of the recommendations made by the CMC in its first tenure were implemented by the authorities concerned,” said Al Kuwari.

For example, he said that among the first issues which were taken up in council were labour accommodations in family residential areas.

“Following the recommendation, a minstrel decision was issued to ban labour camps in family residential areas. Other recommendations included parking of trucks in residential areas, development of central market, public parks and other services,” said Al Kuwari.