Al-Raya Highlights Announcement of Preliminary List of Candidates for Shura Council's Elections

Doha, September 01 (QNA) - In its editorial Wednesday, Al-Raya newspaper affirmed that the electoral process is moving at an accelerated pace, as the Supervisory Committee of the Shura Council elections announced the preliminary lists of candidates for the first session of the Shura Council elections, scheduled for Oct. 2. The newspaper said that the first elected Shura Council in the State of Qatar will have big responsibilities in establishing the new phase of popular participation, in which the people of Qatar will be strongly involved in decision-making in response to the insightful and wise vision of the wise leadership, which seeks to expand popular participation in the decision-making process and to exercise oversight roles over the executive authority, as well as to engage strongly in community service in order to reach a comprehensive legislative renaissance on which the wise leadership depends in order to reach sustainable development on sound and solid foundations that give the opportunity for everyone to build the State of Qatar. The paper noted that the preliminary lists of candidates for the first Shura Council elections, which the committee published on its website, reflects a great turnout and a sincere desire of everyone to engage in the electoral process and to deal positively with the messages of the wise leadership in encouraging popular participation in decision-making process, adding that the list included 294 candidates, including 29 women in 30 electoral districts. The paper pointed out that there are great hopes that the first elected Shura Council in the State of Qatar will play its important legislative and oversight roles to give impetus to the comprehensive renaissance that Qatar is experiencing, stressing that this council will work to establish the next phase by reviewing laws and recommending amendments to them if required, in order to achieve the national interest as well as build on and enhance the achievements. In conclusion, Al-Raya said that citizens are required to choose those who are capable of representing and serving them, and contributing effectively to legislative and public work away from personal interests or narrow affiliations. (QNA)