2021 Qatari general election

General elections were held in Qatar for the first time on 2 October 2021, following an announcement by the Emir of Qatar on 22 August 2021.^[1] The elections for the Consultative Assembly were originally scheduled for the second half of 2013,^[2] but were postponed in June 2013 until at least 2016.^[3] In 2016 they were postponed again.^[4] Finally, in November 2020, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani pledged to hold the election in October 2021.^[5]

2021 Qatari general election

2 October 2021
30 of the 45 seats in the Consultative Assembly
Turnout	~63.5%
Party Vote % Seats Independents 100 30 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Chairman of the Consultative Assembly before Chairman of the Consultative Assembly after Ahmad bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud Independent Hassan bin Abdulla Al-Ghanim Independent

Background

The elections were originally scheduled to be held in the last six months of 2013, but were postponed prior to the retiring Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani transferring power to his son Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.^[6] The Consultative Assembly's term was extended until 2016^[7] and then until 2019.^[4]

In October 2019 Al Thani issued an order for a committee to be formed to organise the elections, chaired by Prime Minister Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani.^[8]

Electoral system

Men and women aged over 18 are eligible to vote for 30 of the 45 seats in the Consultative Assembly according to the constitution,^[9][10] with the remainder appointed by the Emir.^[11]

On 29 July 2021, Al Thani approved the electoral law, which mandated the thirty members being elected from single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting.^[12] The law requires candidates to be at least thirty years old and 'of Qatari origin' (as defined by the 2005 nationality law).^[11] This limited voting to those descended from people who held citizenship in 1930,^[13] barring people who had been naturalised and members of the Al Murrah tribe from contesting the election and leading to protests.^[11]

Campaign

A total of 284 candidates contested the 30 seats, with 29 women running.^[13] Political parties are banned and all candidates ran as independents.^[14]

Preliminary results

No women were elected.^[15] Voter turnout was 63.5%.^[16] According to Human Rights Watch, thousands of Qataris were excluded from voting.^[17]

Constituency	Elected member
1. Fereej Al Khulaifat	Abdulrahman Yousef Abdelrahman Al Khulaifi
2. Fereej Al Hitmi	Ahmed Hitmi Ahmed Al Hitmi
3. Fereej Al Salata	Abdullah Ali Jumaa Al Sulaiti
4. Al Mirqab	Issa Ahmed Issa Nasr Al Nasr
5. Old Al Ghanim	Hassan bin Abdulla Al-Ghanim
6. Mushayrib	Khalid Ghanim Nasser Al Ali Al Maadeed
7. Al Jasrah	Khalid Ahmed Nasser Ahmed Al Obaidan
8. Al Bidda	Nasser Salmin Khalid Al Suwaidi
9. Barahat Al Jufairi	Hamad Abdullah Abdulrahman Ali Al Mulla
10. Dawhah al Jadidah	Khalid Abbas Ali Kamal Al Emadi
11. Rawdat Al Khail	Nasser Mohsin Mohammed Bukshaisha
12. Al Rumeilah	Issa Arar Issa Ali Al Rumeihi
13. Fareej Al Najada	Mohammed Yousef Abdulrahman Al Manaa
14. South Al Wakrah	Mohammed Muftah Abdulrahman Al Muftah
15. North Al Wakrah	Yousef Ali Yousef Al Khater
16. Al Sailiya	Ali Futais Al Merri
17. Old Rayyan	Mohammed Bati Salem Khalifa Al Abdullah
18. Al Kharaitiyat	Ali Shbaib Nasser Al Attiyah
19. Al Daayen	Nasser Metref Essa Al Metref Al Humaidi
20. Al Khor Thakhira	Ahmad bin Hamad Al Muhannadi
21. Al Mashrab	Mohammed Eid Saad Al Hassan Al Kaabi
22. Al Ghariyah	Mubarak Mohammed Matar Al Matar Al Kuwari
23. Ar-Ruʼays	Yousef Ahmed Ali Al Sada
24. Abu Dhalouf	Mohammed Omar Ahmad Al Salem Al Mannai
25. Al Jumail	Nasser Hassan Al Nfeihi Al Kubaisi
26. Al Kuwariya	Nasser Mohammed Nasser Al Jufaili Al Nuaimi
27. Al Nasraniya and Al Khurayb	Sultan Hassan Mubarak Al Dabet Al Dosari
28. Dukhan	Mubarak Saif Hamdan Maasad Al Mansouri
29. Al Kharsaah, Ummahat Sawi and Al Owaina	Ali Saeed Rashed Al Khayareen
30. Rawdat Rashed	Salem Rashed Salem Rashed Al Muraikhi
Source: Doha News, Gulf Times

References

1. "Qatar sets Oct. 2 for first legislative elections". Reuters. 22 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
2. Emir: Qatar to hold first legislative elections in 2013 Archived 2014-08-31 at the Wayback Machine Doha News, 1 November 2011
3. Advisory Council’s term extended until 2016 amid government transition Doha News, 2 July 2013
4. Legislative elections in Qatar postponed until at least 2019 Archived 2017-08-22 at the Wayback Machine Doha News, 17 June 2016
5. "Qatar intends to hold its first elections for the Shura Council in 2021". Swissinfo (in Arabic). 3 November 2020. Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
6. "Qatar emir hands power to son, no word on prime minister". Reuters. 2013-06-25.
7. Postponing democracy: Qatar’s modernization attempts fail without inclusive political institutions Archived 2015-04-20 at the Wayback Machine An-Nahar, 18 December 2014
8. Qatar takes step toward first Shura Council election: QNA agency Reuters, 31 October 2019
9. "Qatar elections to be held in 2013 - Emir". BBC News. 2011-11-01. Archived from the original on 2012-01-06. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
10. Agarwal, Hina (2011-11-09). "Qatar to hold elections in 2013". Arabian Gazette. Archived from the original on 2012-05-22. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
11. "Qatari Al-Murra tribe protests against the election law". The Levant News. 10 August 2021. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
12. "Qatar approves electoral law for first legislative polls". Reuters. 29 July 2021.
13. Qatari voters weigh in on first legislative elections Al Jazeera, 2 October 2021
14. Qatar Freedom House
15. Qatar’s first legislative elections see 63.5% voter turnout as women fail to break through Doha News, 3 October 2021
16. Mills, Andrew; Barrington, Lisa (2021-10-02). "Qatar's first legislative elections see 63.5% voter turnout". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
17. Mills, Andrew; Barrington, Lisa (2021-10-03). "Qatar's first legislative elections see 63.5% voter turnout". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-11-07.

External links

• Shura Council Election Supervisory Committee