Sharjah council members vow to further democracy

Sharjah Consultative Council wants greater oversight concerning adoption of its rulings.

Sharjah // Sharjah's democratic heritage will be honoured and maintained despite regional challenges, members of the Sharjah Consultative Council (SCC) pledged yesterday, as Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed, the ruler of the emirate, opened the sixth session of the legislative body.

Political participation and democracy have greatly benefited the emirate, and the ruler has kept it available to his people, said Obaid al Hajri, the SCC's speaker.

"As council members we are entrusted to make use of this blessing," he said. "Our emirate has a reputation of being the first in the Gulf to practise participative democracy that is inclusive of all genders."

SCC members said that despite the council's history and achievements, challenges remain.

Fatimah Salim al Suwaidi, who chairs the SCC's Family Affairs committee, said the body should follow up to determine whether its recommendations were being implemented by other arms of government, including the police force and municipal authorities.

"We can count the number of votes, requests and recommendations made in the past," she said. "Unfortunately, no one yet knows the exact number of recommendations that have been implemented, those still under consideration and those abandoned.

"The problem has been that we don't have a timeframe for most proposals. I want to ask the speaker to set deadlines for attainment of each proposal. Only then we can move forward."

In addition, she said, the heads of agencies affected by SCC decisions approved by Dr Sheikh Sultan should be made to present, at the start of each session, a record of what they have implemented. The ruler must approve all SCC recommendations in order for them to be binding.

The council, formed in 1999, wants citizens to become active in the emirate's governance.

It originally had 35 members, but in 2001 that number increased to 42, when seven female members joined the council - a first in the region. Bahrain was the next to follow suit, admitting women to its parliament in 2004.

All SCC members are appointed by the ruler of Sharjah and must be above 30 and have no criminal record. The members, who elect the body's speaker, serve for a maximum of four years and a minimum of two years. No one can serve on the council for more than one term.