JEDDAH, 30 March 2005 — The much-awaited expansion and reshuffle of the Shoura Council which is expected next week will witness the induction of 110 new members, press reports said yesterday quoting informed sources.
Dr. Saleh Bin-Humaid will continue as the council’s chairman but his deputy Bakri Shatta and Secretary-General Dr. Hamoud Al-Badr — both have completed three terms — will be replaced, the sources said.
The reshuffle will also see more powers vested in the council, the sources told Okaz newspaper. These may include debating annual government budgets before their announcement, they said.
Two months ago, Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, announced plans to expand the Shoura including representatives from the Kingdom’s various regions and tribes. The new council will have 150 members instead of the current 120.
A ministerial committee, chaired by Prince Sultan, is charged with the task of selecting the members, Okaz said. As per Article 13 of the Shoura System, the council will be reshuffled two months before the expiry of its four-year term.
Sixty current members could be replaced as they have already completed three terms. Seven members have left the council after their appointments as ministers and top government officials.
Bin-Humaid has ruled out appointment of women to the Shoura this time. “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 Bin-Humaid as saying.
A number of Shoura members including Osama Kurdi and Muhammad Al-Zulfa have called for the appointment of women to the Shoura. “There is no justification for keeping women out of the council,” Zulfa said.
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, has already been finalized.
The Shoura Council has witnessed dramatic changes since it was established in 1992 as part of government reforms. The council now has powers to legislate new laws and introduce changes to existing laws without first seeking royal permission. It can pass any law and send it for the government’s approval.
