Executive powers for CMC likely

DOHA: In a major push towards democratisation, the State Cabinet yesterday approved a proposal of the public representative body, the Central Municipal Council (CMC), to arm itself with at least some executive powers.

The CMC, which has a four-year tenure and was first installed in early 1999 through a maiden electoral process, has recommendatory status and lacks executive authority.

With 29 members representing as many municipal constituencies across the country, the body is only empowered to make recommendations about public projects, civic amenities and social, economic and other issues of public interest.

Its members have long been demanding that they be armed with at least some executive powers so they could serve their constituents more effectively by launching civic amenity projects in their wards.

The Cabinet yesterday approved amendments to some provisions of two laws (Number 11 of 2011 and Number 12 of 1998, the last regulating the setting up, structure and functioning of the body) that were proposed by the CMC. If the amendments are finally approved and incorporated into the law, the CMC would not need to make recommendations and could rather send its proposals for projects and issues it has the authority over, directly to the Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning for implementation. The Peninsula

The Minister could reject the proposal only on three grounds: if it contradicts government policy or some provisions of the CMC law or if the Minister thinks that the proposal has no merit.

And in case the proposal does not contradict either the government policy or the CMC legislation and the Minister rejects it on the ground that it has no merit, and the CMC insists that the proposal does have merit, it would have the right to forward it directly to the Cabinet for its consideration for implementation.

The practice currently is that the CMC must forward all its proposals to the Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning in the form of recommendation only and its is the Minister’s prerogative to reject or accept them.

Asked what happens if there is a conflict between the CMC and the Minister over a proposal after the amendments are implemented, CMC’s Vice-Chairman, Jassem Al Malki (pictured), simply told The Peninsula: “We will see”.

He, however, added that the Minister is “very cooperative” and has so far accepted a vast majority of the recommendations made by the CMC about key public projects, civic amenities and social and economic issues.

According to Al Malki, another important amendment that was proposed by the CMC was that the authority to supervise the working of the Secretary-General (an administrative post) of the CMC be entrusted with the House.

The supervisory authority is presently with the chairman of the CMC. “That proposed amendment has also been accepted and approved by the Cabinet,” Al Malki said. Once the amendment is finally approved and incorporated into the law, the CMC would be authorized to set up a committee that would oversee the working of the secretary-general.

In the event there are differences of opinion in the House on some issue related to the working of the secretary-general, a vote would be taken to settle the dispute in a democratic way, said Al Malki.

He described the proposed amendments as a major step towards democratisation and lauded the Cabinet for its historic role.

the peninsula