Wednesday 24 / April / 2024
Muscat: The 20th anniversary celebrations of the State Council, under the patronage of State Council Chairman Dr Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri brought together the former and current members, the Secretary General and staff yesterday.
The celebrations began with a film on the opening of the first term of the Council of Oman on December 27. It included His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s speech delivered during the opening of the Council of Oman, followed by speeches of Shaikh Hamoud bin Abdullah Al Harthi, former State Council chairman and Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Qatabi, former Majlis Al Shura chairman.
Welcoming the former Council members, State Council Secretary General Dr. Khalid Al Saidi said: They had been entrusted with the supreme mandate of serving the nation through the Council’s platform and made significant contributions to the consolidation of the Shura and the Council’s role, enabling them to play an effective role in national action and give momentum to development and Renaissance in the Sultanate.”
He extended a warm welcome to the current distinguished members of the Council, who through their efforts have continued to enrich the Council’s achievements and meet the great expectations that have been placed on it.
“The ceremony validates the high patronage of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos to develop the Shura march in the Sultanate, right from its conception and practice amidst the cultural heritage, inspired by the teachings of the Islamic religion, which calls for activating the Shura approach in various matters of life, especially in public affairs.
“The uniqueness of the Omani Shura lies in its combining the national culture with the tools of the modern era in the supreme interest of the Shura process. The success is evident since the initiation of the blessed renaissance. It had commenced with the pledge to work hard to establish a just democratic rule in the country and has formed a solid foundation, paving the way for systematic and gradual development of the Shura process in the Sultanate.
“ The Shura experience is now mature and is characterised by disciplined parliamentary practices, with preserved societal values, positively dealing with national concerns and issues, with the aim of contributing to each stage of national action, empowering the Omanis’ integrating efforts and coordination with various state institutions.
“The process of evolution of the Shura in the Sultanate in its institutional form has evolved through several stages. The Council was at first an institutional body that involved citizens in decision-making, through the establishment of the Consultative Council of the State and then the Shura Council. The promulgation of the basic law of the State in 1996, enabled the Sultanate to adopt parliamentary parity, where it provided for the establishment of the Council of Oman, composed of the State Council and the Shura Council. It issued laws and regulations governing the work of each of them. Following this, in 2011, the Council of Oman was granted additional powers in some fields, which enabled it to contribute effectively to the achievement of sustainable development and accelerated the country’s progress, thereby serving the current and future generations.
“The establishment of the State Council two decades ago culminated in the Shura process in the Sultanate. It represented a qualitative change from the one-chamber system to the dual-chamber system, ensuring popular participation in national decisions and benefiting from its competencies and expertise in all fields.
“The establishment of the State institutions and law to enhance performance in the areas of national action, and the transition to institutional harmony between the three institutions of the state — legislative, executive and judicial — contributed to optimum development and rapid progress in the Sultanate. The achievements of the Council over the past two decades have led to a more ambitious phase under the support of His Majesty.
“The draft laws, reports and studies performed by the State Council through the two decades covered various legal, economic, social, administrative and other aspects. This attests to the significant role of the Council in the process of development in the Sultanate, based on the scientific qualifications of its members, their expertise and the national spirit that reflects the concerns of the country and citizens’ needs.
“The State Council has commenced its third sitting of the sixth term and looks forward to a promising future with more achievements that will enhance its role in the national work and deepen its contribution to the nation’s progress and development, with the noble patronage of the Shura march led by His Majesty. “
Finally, on behalf of the Chairman of the Council, he thanked all for participating in the celebration.
Visual Presentation
Altaf bint Omar Al Marhoon, Assistant Secretary General for Information and Research Centre, displayed the Councils’ two-decade-long achievements through a visual presentation.
It highlighted His Majesty’s Royal speech delivered on December 27, when he had said, “The establishment of the State Council to work side by side with the Majlis towards achieving the nation’s goals is another step forward along the path of cooperation between the government and the citizens, which aims to ensure greater prosperity, progress and development.”
The presentation contained the statistical data from 1997 to 2017, the important meetings, the organisation chart, the consolidated statistics of work performed, and the parliament friendship committees between the State council and other parliaments, the organisations and associations that the Council participates in, positions held by Council members in continental and international councils and associations, its outreach programmes and events, among others.
