Qatari youths are competing in the Majlis Al Shura (Parliament) elections scheduled for October 2nd.

Since September 15, propaganda campaigns have continued for two weeks, as part of the first parliamentary elections in the Gulf country.

The history of the Shura Council dates back to 1972, and its members were appointed, before Doha moved to elect them, as part of efforts by the country’s leadership to strengthen democracy by expanding popular participation in the political process.

In 30 electoral districts, 284 candidates, including 28 women, are competing to win 30 seats out of a total of 45, the rest of which will be appointed by the Emir of the country.

** Youth Representatives

The young man, Muhammad Hamad Khamis Al-Obaidli, a candidate for the ninth constituency (Barahat Al-Jufairi), told Anadolu Agency that “the principle in the elections is equal opportunities, there should not be a quota (a quota with a number of seats) for young people, separate by themselves or for women.. This may be between The people appointed to the council, but the voter is the one who chooses.”

He added: “Our Qatari society is basically a young society, so we will find among the elected youth, and there are general challenges that most of the candidates talked about to develop and update legislation in several areas, in line with Qatar’s launch and its (development) vision 2030.”

Al-Obaidli praised the election step in his country, saying that “Qatar is an active state in international politics, so it was wise for the Qatari leadership to activate the Shura Council election mechanism to expand the base of democracy to keep pace with political development, in line with its regional and global role.”

And he added: “Qatari society has a certain social structure, traditions, customs and values ​​that we are proud of, but they do not contradict the required development, but rather encourage it.”

He added, “Therefore, our generous leadership encouraged citizens to actively participate in the democratic experiment in order to benefit from the experiences and energies of citizens in all fields.”

He believed that “the elected council will be a wonderful opportunity to highlight the talents of its members, so that the candidates themselves who will not be lucky will discover in themselves abilities and faculties they did not notice and will work to develop, and this is in the interest of the country.”

On community participation in the elections, Al-Obaidli said that “the many indications that have emerged confirm that the Qatari society is interacting well with the experience, as the talk did not stop in the councils and on the communication sites.”

He added that “candidate campaigns, citizens’ interaction, and the strong role of the Qatar Media Corporation in highlighting the experience and ensuring its success, all of these things confirm that the voter turnout will be high… Citizens have the enthusiasm to actively participate in the first democratic experiment.”

** Awareness of the community

“This is the first real democratic experience, and we hope all the best from it.” With these words, Muhammad Al-Mulla Al-Jufairi, who is also a young candidate for the ninth constituency, praised the Shura Council elections.

Al-Jufairi added to Anadolu Agency: “We thank the country’s leadership for giving the people the opportunity to participate and giving us some of their powers. This is a matter of pride for the people of Qatar and the Arab world, and I am sure it will be an exemplary experience. We are all hopeful for this experiment and its success.”

On the chances of youth being present in the council, he said, “The government in Qatar is a young government, and the trend towards youth is high.”

He added, “We don’t know whether the society has sufficient awareness to support the youth… Do the people believe in their role? We are counting on the understanding of the community.”

He continued, “I applied for this experiment to find out what the society’s attitudes are towards young people, and the answer will be in the ballot boxes, as it will show the extent of the youth’s presence and the extent of society’s acceptance of their presence in this place.”

He expressed his belief that “the decisions that will come out of the council will express the majority of society and will solve many crises, and the council will maintain (..) government work and monitor the government’s performance, and this will yield good for society.”

He added: “This is a democratic wedding (…) and we hope that the elected council and its members will be the best representative of the people.”

** Youth and Politics

Jamal Ali Al-Buainain, a young candidate for the 15th district (south of Al-Wakra), told Anadolu Agency, “Young people are the backbone of society and the hope of tomorrow, and their important and fundamental role in our society cannot be neglected.”

Al-Buainain considered that “one of the basic conditions for running for membership in the council is that there should be an influential presence for young people and encourage them to enter the field of politics, as our state believes in the ability of our youth in this historic legislative event.”

He added: “The Shura Council is a source of ideas and perceptions that will serve the country and the citizen, and it is the cornerstone that will put in place legislation that will enable us to advance our country to be a lofty democratic edifice.”

He stressed that these elections “do not conflict with our political, economic and social peculiarities… We aspire to a new legislative experience that reflects our openness as a state to democratic experiences.”

** Opening up to the world

According to Youssef Al-Kuwari, a young candidate for Constituency 22 (Al-Ghariya), “Qatar has sought, since the era of the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (1995-2013), to political openness to the outside world.”

Al-Kuwari added that his country “adopted a unique approach in the benign mediation between the conflicting parties in many countries, such as Sudan, Lebanon, Yemen and Palestine, and its diplomatic and humanitarian role exceeded countries that preceded us in this field.”

He continued, “The parliamentary elections confirm Qatar’s commitment to its open approach and the strengthening of this openness by strengthening the role of the legislative authority.”

And he added, “The most important positives are the participation of elected members in approving legislation, enacting laws, and monitoring the performance of the executive authority. The Council and the government will cooperate together for the benefit of the nation and the citizen.”

He considered that these elections represent an “important experiment in democratic transformation and expanding the circle of popular participation in decision-making (…) and certainly every member (of the council) will strive to fulfill the promises he made to himself.”

** Strong competition

As for Khaled Al-Dosari, a young candidate from the 27th constituency (Christianity and Khreib), he said, “The youth base among the candidates is broad and broad and carries many electoral programs that meet the requirements and goals of the citizens. candidate.”

He added: “The candidate must strive and persevere in conveying the ideas of his electoral programs in a way that touches the goals and objectives of the citizens.”

And Al-Dosari added, “This council will be an ideal experience in exercising its functions and competencies, depending on the participation of citizens in the decision-making process, formulating and directing national development at various levels.”

He concluded that this plan “confirms that Qatar is moving forward with direct changes to its people that enhance its strengths, to complement the renaissance that the country is witnessing at all levels.”

Anatolia