HE the former Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Sulaiti stressed that HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's issuance of the laws and decrees regulating the Shura Council elections and determining its powers represents a legal safeguard to ensure the success of the elections.

In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency, he said that HH the Amir was keen on expanding popular participation in the elections based on the State of Qatar's permanent constitution that was approved by the citizens in 2003. He stressed that the wise leadership believes in the importance of expanding participation in public service, in order to build the state's institutions.

Here is a transcript of the interview:

The wise leadership sought to create the appropriate environment to hold the Shura Council elections for the first time in Qatar, could you discuss the efforts made to ensure the success of the elections?

Sure, HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's issuance of the laws and decrees regulating the Shura Council elections and determining its powers represents a legal safeguard to ensure the success of the elections. Just like former member of the Shura Council HE Ambassador Mohammed bin Ali Al Henzab confirmed, His Highness is committed to the success of the elections. His Highness consulted with the dignitaries and prominent figures in Qatar prior to issuing the law, as His Highness of keen on expanding popular participation in the elections, in line with the State of Qatar's permanent constitution approved in 2003. The wise leadership believes in the importance of expanding participation in public service in order to build state institutions and the law. HH the Amir will use a gradual approach to reach that goal. The rule proposed by HH the Amir to expand participation for those whose grandfathers were born in Qatar point to further expansion in decision making, as the closer proximity between the people and the leadership has made HH the Amir the one with the initiative to amend the legislation. The permanent constitution has set a balanced structure between the people and power, it also adopted the separation of the three powers and enhanced judicial mechanisms. The holding of elections completes the process of popular engagement with legislative and regulatory developments.

We are witnessing today the preparations of the first Shura Council elections, what does that council represent for the people of Qatar?

The elected Shura Council conveys the efforts of the wise leadership to expand popular participation in decision-making, urging the people of Qatar to play their positive and constructive role in public service, and to engage in oversight efforts of the work of the legislative authority. I see that the current thirty electoral districts is a fair division that guarantees equal representation for all the people of Qatar, taking into account the interests of all, away from narrow interests and tribalism. There are in many electoral districts where we find more than one tribe and it is not dedicated to a particular party without the other. The people of Qatar are united in being part of one tribe called the tribe of Qatar. Settling on holding the Shura Council elections for 30 members and the appointment of 15 members contributes to expanding popular participation in decision-making, governance, and administration. It also combines between free popular representation and benefiting from those with expertise, creating a good mixture of opinions and engagement in the council. The current electoral districts constitute a divisional organization of the stable human map in the State of Qatar, and the population centers before 1960, defining its population. That is why these electoral districts came according to my knowledge of them, including their components that mixed in the criteria the existence of the family, the tribe, and the region. I would like to urge the young people to participate in this year's election. Any young man or woman see that they are capable of playing this role must look to engage in the electoral process, whether by running for a seat or by electing a candidate. That is simply because they are the future, and they can engage actively with the leadership in the coming period. I'd also be delighted to see our young people as members of the Shura Council, as it represents the people of Qatar that are of all ages and not just a particular generation.