JEDDAH, 21 March 2005 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd is expected to appoint 97 new Shoura members within a month after reports that their total would be increased from 120 to 150 in the upcoming reshuffle.
Sixty members of the existing Shoura could be replaced as they have already completed three terms. Seven members have left the council after their new appointments as ministers and top government officials.
There were reports that a number of prominent women would be inducted to the Shoura for the first time. But Shoura Council Chairman Dr. Saleh Bin-Humaid has ruled out that possibility.
“The issue of women’s participation in the Shoura as members has not yet been mooted officially, although some writers and social forums have raised the issue,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted him as saying.
According to a report carried by Al-Yaum Arabic daily, names of a selected number of women have been proposed for appointment to the Shoura Council. But a final decision on the matter was yet to be taken, the paper said quoting high-level sources.
Osama Kurdi, a member of the Shoura, has said appointment of women as members would strengthen the body. Muhammad Al-Zulfa, another Shoura member, said there was no justification for keeping women out of the consultative council.
Dr. Suhaila Zainul Abideen Hammad, an executive member of the National Society for Human Rights, went further and urged authorities to give women a third of the seats. She emphasized that Shariah does not prevent women from taking part in the Shoura.
There are talks that famous artists and footballers might be appointed to the council for the first time. Some say the new list which includes a number of young technocrats and retired experts is already finalized and it would be announced on April 12.
There are also reports that Dr. Hamoud Al-Badr, who has been the council’s secretary-general since its inception, would be replaced. However, 53 existing members may continue in the council.
As per Article 13 of the Shoura System, the Shoura would be reshuffled two months before the expiry of its term. At least 50 percent of Shoura members would be replaced by new figures in the reshuffle.
The Shoura has undergone tremendous development since it was established in 1992. It is similar to any Parliament in the world in the sense that it drafts and approves laws, treaties and bilateral agreements with other countries. Shoura members need not seek the permission of the king now to introduce or change a law. They can pass any law and present it to the government for approval.
King Fahd introduced the Shoura system as well as the regional council system as part of his political and administrative reforms. In 1997, he increased the number of Shoura members from 60 to 90 and in 2001 it was further raised to 120.
