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10/16/24, 11:12 AM Ruler says Qataris to vote on abandoning elections | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT
The emir added: "The contest assumes an identity-based character that we are

not equipped to handle, with potential complications over time that we would

rather avoid."

The country's electoral law distinguishes between born and naturalised Qatari

citizens and bars the latter from electoral participation.

Qatar first introduced plans for the legislative elections in its 2003 constitution

but authorities repeatedly postponed the vote.

The country finally held the vote to elect two-thirds of the Shura Council in

October 2021, just after the end of a boycott of Qatar by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi

Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that tore the Gulf Arab states apart.

The vote also came about a year ahead of Qatar hosting the 2022 FIFA World

Cup, an event that drew intense international scrutiny to both Qatar's treatment

of foreign labourers and its system of governance.

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Qatar, like other Gulf Arab states, is ruled by a hereditary leader with ultimate

say in how the country is governed.

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