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JEDDAH, 11 December 2007 — Prince Mishaal ibn Abdul Aziz, former deputy defense minister and Makkah governor, has been appointed chairman of the 35-member Allegiance Commission set up by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, it was announced yesterday. The commission will select future kings and crown princes. King Abdullah, who issued a royal decree naming the new commission, urged its members to stand united, settling any differences by transparent dialogue and without allowing external forces to interfere in their private affairs, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The commission, which has been set up for the first time in the Kingdom’s history in order to streamline succession to the throne is comprised of the sons and grandsons of King Abdul Aziz, the Kingdom’s founder. Analysts described the commission’s formation as a major political reform introduced by King Abdullah. The commission’s members are: Prince Abdul Rahman, Prince Miteb, Prince Talal, Prince Badr, Prince Turki, Prince Naif, Prince Fawaz, Prince Salman, Prince Mamdouh, Prince Abdul Ilah, Prince Sattam, Prince Ahmed, Prince Mashhour, Prince Hadhlool, and Prince Muqrin, all sons of King Abdul Aziz. Other members are: Prince Muhammad ibn Saud, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Prince Muhammad ibn Saad, Prince Turki ibn Faisal ibn Turki, Prince Muhammad ibn Nasser, Prince Faisal ibn Bandar, Prince Saud ibn Abdul Mohsen, Prince Muhammad ibn Fahd, Prince Khaled ibn Sultan, Prince Talal ibn Mansour, Prince Khaled ibn Abdullah, Prince Muhammad ibn Mashari, Prince Faisal ibn Khaled, Prince Badr ibn Muhammad, Prince Faisal ibn Thamer, Prince Mishaal ibn Majed, Prince Abdullah ibn Musaed, Prince Faisal ibn Abdul Majeed and Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Nawaf. King Abdullah received the commission members at his palace in Riyadh late Sunday night in the presence of Crown Prince Sultan and the members took oath in front of the king. The king reminded the members of the pledges made by King Abdul Aziz to establish truth, justice and equality as well as to follow the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, which represent the basis of the Saudi Constitution. Saudi Arabia last year announced the creation of the Allegiance Commission, which will regulate the succession after Crown Prince Sultan who is the heir to King Abdullah. Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 and there have been five kings since the death of Abdul Aziz. King Abdullah became the Kingdom’s sixth monarch in 2005 after the death of King Fahd. On Oct. 7, 2007, the king issued an 18-article executive bylaw for the commission, explaining how the commission members would be chosen and how it would pick future successors. Under the regulations, once a king dies, the Allegiance Commission will immediately hold a meeting in order to officially name the crown prince as the new king. Within 10 days, the new king must send a letter to the commission’s chairman with the name of the person he has chosen as crown prince or he may ask the commission to nominate a crown prince. “The member should be aged not less than 22 and should be a man of good reputation,” said the new bylaw, carried by the Saudi Press Agency. The membership period is fixed at four years and can only be renewed with the agreement of the king and the member’s brothers. Referring to the medical committee to be appointed to report on the health of a king or crown prince or a commission member, the new statute said the meetings would be held secretly. “The medical report must be presented to the chairman of the Allegiance Commission in a sealed envelope and should not be seen except during the commission’s meeting,” the bylaw said. |
