Elections in Qatar: A window of democracy opens in the Gulf

Middle East Policy

Volumn 6, Issue 4, 1999, Pages 118-127

  Bahry, Louay ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0033242502     PISSN: 10611924     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4967.1999.tb00356.x     Document Type: Article

References (19)

1. 11,437 sq. km. (smaller than Connecticut). Pop: 670,274 (1997 est.), including 516,508 non-nationals.
2. Kuwait Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Sultanate of Oman.
3. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa had been deputy emir and heir apparent prior to his take-over of the top position. He was also minister of defense and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. Since 1962, his father had granted the son control over Emirate affairs (except for the Treasury). The new ruler has received military training and is a graduate of Sandhurst Military Academy in England.
4. Interview with Rosemarie Zahlan, noted historian of Qatar, April 1, 1999.
5. For the text of the emir's speech, see The Gulf Times, Doha, November 17, 1998.
6. Ibid.
7. Al-Sharq, Doha, December 7, 1998.
8. Al-Sharq, Doha, November 30, 1998.
9. Abdul Qadir al-Emiri, "Between Democracy and al-Shura," al-Sharq, Doha, November 23, 1998.
10. Al-Sharq al-Awsat, London, December 17, 1998.
11. Although she is the third wife of the ruler, he has chosen her son, Prince Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, to be his heir apparent, despite the fact that he is not the oldest of his three sons.
12. Al-Sharq al-Awsat, London, December 17, 1998.
13. Ibid.
14. Moza al-Maliki, Interview with the BBC News, March 9, 1999. BBC World Service, Internet.
15. The closest a female candidate came to winning was Dr. Wadha al-Suwaidi, who lost by a margin of 28 votes; her male opponent received 200 votes while she received 172.
16. Al-Sharq, Doha, January 3, 1999.
17. Interview with H.E. Saad Muhammad al-Qubaisi, ambassador of Qatar to the United States, Washington, DC, November 23, 1998.
18. Al-Hayat, London, December 31, 1998. Al-Nuaimi was detained briefly and then subsequently released by the government.
19. Michael Dunn, a Middle East commentator, predicted recently that Oman would abandon its semi-elected consultative council in favor of one directly elected at the end of that council's term in the year 2000 (The Estimate, X:24, November 20, 1998, p. 2).