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Iviii THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE ARABIAN GULF STATES
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Tariq formed the first Cabinet in Oman’s history, comprising four
Omani ministers for the portfolios of justice, health, education and
interior. The Sultan reserved for himself the portfolio of foreign
I affairs. As regards defence, it remained, as in the past, under the
control of a British Officer, holding the title of a Secretary of
Defence.1 However, on 3 January 1972, Sayyid Tariq resigned his
: post as a Prime Minister. Announcing the resignation of his uncle,
Sultan Qabus stated that the functions of the Prime Minister will be
assumed by his own office.2 Consequently, the Sultan now has full
control over the administration in Oman.
On 6 October, 1971, the Sultanate of Oman became a member of
. : the League of Arab States and on 7 October 1971, she was admitted
to membership of the United Nations.3
1. See Keesing’s op. cit. p. 24175 A: Arab Report & Record (1970) pp. 439-40.
2. Arab Report & Record (1972), p. 12.
3. It should be pointed out, in this connection, that applications for Oman's
memberships in the Arab League and in the United Nations were made in May
and June 1971, but the said applications were not considered by the two
organisations before October 1971. The opposition to Oman’s memberships in
both organisations was made by both the Southern Yemen and Imam Ghalib bin
Ali, who, since 1955, claimed the leadership of the Imamate of Oman (See
Chapter 14 (pp. 239-247) of this book on the claim of “the Imamate of Oman”).
As regards the Arab League, the Arab League Council, which met in Cairo on 11
Sept. 1971, decided to defer its decision on Oman’s application for membership.
Meanwhile a reconciliatory meeting, under the auspices of the Arab League,
was arranged in Beirut between the Government of Oman and the exiled Imam.
But the said meeting was unsuccessful because the conditions made by the
Imam for relinquishing his claim were totally rejected by the Omani
Government. The Arab League had in the past (from 1955 to 1971) espoused the
claim of the Imamate of Oman and refused to recognise the Government of the
Sultan of Muscat and Oman. Moreover, the Arab League had passed a number
of resolutions in support of the “legitimate claims of the Imam of Oman to
sovereignty over Oman".
However, the Arab League Council had to reconsider its old position towards
the Sultanate of Oman after July 1970, when the new Sultan, Qabus Bin Said,
assumed power in Oman. Accordingly, the Arab League Council decided on 6
October 1971 to admit the Sultanate of Oman to its membership, in spite of the
opposition of Southern Yemen and Imam Ghalib to this decision. This action put
an end to the Arab League’s recognition of the “Imamate of Oman”. So far as
the United Nations are concerned, the Sultanate’s application to the Security
Council was made on 24 May 1971, but the Committee on the Admission of New
Members decided on 16 August to defer examination of the Sultanate’s
application. However, on 4 October 1971, the Security Council decided
unanimously to recommend the General Assembly to admit the Sultanate of
Oman to membership of the Organisation, acting on the recommendation of the
Comittec on the Admission of New Members. On 7 October 1971, the United
Nations General Assembly considered the Security Council’s Resolution of 4
October, and voted formally in favour of the admission of the Sultanate of
Oman to membership of the United Nations. The record of voting was 117 in
favour with one against (Southern Yemen) and two abstentions (Cuba and
Saudia Arabia).