Qatar’s Interior Ministry announced that voters approved a series of constitutional amendments on Tuesday, one of which replaced elections for Shura Council membership with appointed positions.
With a reported 90.6 percent approval, the citizens of the Persian Gulf nation voted to revoke a 2021 measure allocating 30 of the 45 seats in the advisory chamber for public selection. The positions will now be filled at the discretion of Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
Officials in Doha argued the changes were necessary because Qatari law permits only individuals whose ancestors had lived in the country before 1930 to participate in the process. This restriction, they claimed, had fueled tribal and ethnic tensions within their society.
National-level voting in Qatar was introduced amid pressure from Western governments to implement democratic reforms in the lead-up to the country's hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Qatar has held municipal elections every four years since 1999.
