Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani has called for a change to the constitution to stop the election of two-thirds of the seat in the Shura Council, with all of the chambers members to be directly appointed instead. The plan will be put to a referendum, but it is unlikely much popular opposition will be allowed.
Sheikh Tamim came to power in June 2013 and since then has deepened Qatar’s position as a global-scale exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), overseen the hosting of football’s Fifa World Cup in 2022 (underlining his personal interest in the sport), navigated the country through the 2017-21 boycott by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE and the Covid-19 pandemic, and developed the emirate’s position as an intermediary on the international stage. Read more
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