RIYADH, 18 August 2006 — The President of the Shoura Consultative Council Sheikh Saleh Bin Humaid said there were “no red lines” in discussing matters that related to the interest of the country or its citizens in the council.
“The only reservations in the council are to comment on something mentioned in the Holy Qur’an or said by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),” he told reporters after giving a lecture in the Abha Literary Club on Tuesday.
Bin Humaid said the council discussed on its floor several issues of high sensitivity such as reforms in the Kingdom, combating corruption, terrorism, and protection of civil rights. He said what was important was the implementation of approved legislations the council passed.
He did not comment on whether voting would be allowed to choose future members, but said that members appointed by the government — as is the case now — have a plus over members that are elected by being more qualified to speak. “Such a phenomenon is not seen in other Parliaments in the world,” he said.
He said he would be committed to seeing that “openness” would be one of the council’s main themes, saying that he was not in the position to defend what regulations have or have not been passed by its 150 members.
“The council has two main objectives: the first is legislating regulations, and the other is evaluating the performance of government departments according to the council’s jurisdiction and authority.”
He also said many of today’s problems in the Islamic world called for experts to study and comment on them rather than amateurs who comment on them on satellite television channels.
Answering a question about the possibility of unifying religious statements in the Kingdom, he said there were two sorts of religious statements, “the first is based on solid principles which cannot be disputed. The second is personal endeavors from individuals.”
