Controversy in Qatar over electoral law’s exclusion of tribe
Seven people have been referred to prosecutors for “publishing fake news” regarding the Al Murrah tribe’s discontent with the regulations for Qatar’s upcoming election.
A controversy is unfolding in Qatar over one tribe’s anger at an election law.
Qatar’s first-ever elections for its parliament, the Consultative Assembly, will take place in October following several years of delays. Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, approved the laws governing the election last week. Anyone 18-years-old and over with a grandfather born in Qatar can vote. To run, candidates will need to be of Qatari origin and have turned 30.
The controversy stems from the Qatari origin requirement for candidates. This stipulation prohibits some members of the Al Murrah tribe from running in the election, BBC Arabic reported Monday.
The Al Murrah tribe lives in both Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and has historically had a fractious relationship with the Qatari state. In 1995, the then-emir of Qatar, Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, was deposed in a bloodless coup by his son, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (whose son is the current emir).
